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Why I Left Youtube To Build Northtube

9 min read
1935 words

Why I Left YouTube (and Built NorthTube)

I've been on YouTube for years. Watched thousands of hours of content. Uploaded videos. Subscribed to creators I care about. Like most people, it was just where video lives.

But somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling right.

It wasn't one big moment. It was a thousand small ones that added up.

Until it was one big moment: ICE recruitment ads.

The Breaking Point

For years, I tolerated the problems. The ads got worse - more frequent, more manipulative. The algorithm got worse - serving engagement metrics instead of what I actually wanted to watch. The rug-pulls never stopped - demonetization, policy changes, channels deleted without appeal.

I complained. I adjusted. I kept using it.

Then I saw the ICE recruitment ads.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Offering massive signing bonuses. Recruiting agents. Playing before MY content.

I sat there, staring at my screen, and realized: someone just watched my video, and before they could learn something useful, they saw an ad offering them $50,000 to join an organization that separates families, detains children, and operates what can only be described as concentration camps.

My content. Funded by fascists. Recruiting fascists.

I couldn't stand by anymore.

That's when I knew I had to leave. Not gradually. Not "I'll just use it less." Actually delete everything and walk away.

Because I can't live with myself knowing that an ad played before MY content might make some poor person think "hey, $50,000 signing bonus, maybe ICE isn't so bad" - my content cannot be used to normalize fascism like this.

So I deleted everything. Years of videos. Gone.

Some people said I was overreacting. "It's just ads." "You don't control what ads play." "You're throwing away your audience."

Maybe. But I could control whether YouTube got to use my work to fund and legitimize that recruitment. And the answer was no.

Why Not Just Demonetize?

"Why not just turn off monetization? Then you're not profiting from the ads."

Because the ads still play. YouTube still profits. ICE still recruits. My content is still the vehicle.

Demonetizing means I don't get paid, but it doesn't stop the harm. It's performative.

The only way to actually stop it was to remove my content entirely.

Why Not Just Use Another Platform?

After I left, I looked at alternatives:

"Just use Vimeo" - Costs money for basic features, still centralized, still corporate. Different boss, same structure.

"Just use Odysee" - Built on blockchain (ugh), attracts a... specific crowd that makes me even more uncomfortable than YouTube.

"Just use TikTok/Instagram/whatever" - These are WORSE than YouTube. More addictive, more manipulative, even less creator-friendly. And probably running similar recruitment ads.

"Just self-host" - Sure, but then you're alone. No discovery, no community, no federation.

The problem isn't YouTube specifically. It's the entire model of venture-capital-funded platforms that need infinite growth to satisfy shareholders. They start good, attract users, then slowly turn predatory once they have market dominance.

And when you're beholden to advertisers for 100% of your revenue? You'll run any ad that pays. Fossil fuel companies. Predatory lenders. Military recruiters. ICE.

We keep running from platform to platform, hoping the next one will be different. But they're all the same business model with different branding.

Enter PeerTube

PeerTube is different because it's federated and ad-free by design.

It's not one platform - it's a network of independently-run instances that can talk to each other. Like email. Like Mastodon.

What this means:
- No ads (unless an instance chooses to run them, which... why would they?)
- No single company controls everything
- Each instance sets its own rules and values
- You can move your content if your instance shuts down
- Moderation happens at community scale, not impossible global scale
- No algorithm optimizing for engagement above all else

What it doesn't mean:
- It's not perfect
- It's not as polished as YouTube (yet)
- It doesn't have YouTube's massive audience (good and bad)
- It requires more intention from users

But here's the thing: it's built on principles I actually believe in.

And most importantly: my content won't be used to recruit for ICE.

Why NorthTube Specifically?

I looked at existing PeerTube instances. Many are excellent. But none quite fit what I wanted:

Geographic focus: Most instances are either European or US-focused. Where's the Canadian instance for Canadian creators?

Values alignment: I wanted explicitly pro-education, pro-public-good content. A place where "we don't run ICE recruitment ads" isn't a bold stance, it's baseline.

Sustainability model: Most rely on one person's goodwill and wallet. I wanted transparent community funding from day one - funded by people who share our values, not advertisers with agendas.

Creator support: I wanted to build in mechanisms to support creators directly, not just the platform.

So I built NorthTube.

What NorthTube Is (And Isn't)

NorthTube is:

  • Ad-free by design (and staying that way)
  • Community-funded through Open Collective
  • Focused on Canadian creators (but open to anyone who shares our values)
  • Centered on education, public good, and ethical content
  • Transparent about costs, governance, and decisions
  • Part of the federated fediverse
  • A place where your content won't fund organizations you oppose

NorthTube is not:

  • A free-speech absolutist platform (we have community guidelines)
  • Trying to replace YouTube (that's not realistic or the goal)
  • Venture-backed or seeking growth at all costs
  • Trying to maximize user engagement through manipulation
  • Perfect (we're figuring this out as we go)

The Vision

What if video hosting worked like this:

For viewers:

  • No ads interrupting content (especially not recruitment ads for organizations causing harm)
  • No algorithm pushing rage-bait
  • No data harvesting your watching habits
  • Support creators you actually care about
  • Watch on a platform that shares your values

For creators:

  • Know your content won't be used to fund things you oppose
  • Own your content (actually, legally, fully)
  • Fair treatment and clear policies
  • Community support, not corporate indifference
  • Export your content anytime
  • Build audience without gaming an algorithm

For the community:

  • Democratic input on policies
  • Transparent finances
  • Shared governance over time
  • Resources flow to content, not shareholder returns
  • Alignment between platform values and community values

That's the vision. We're not there yet. But we're building toward it.

What's Different in Practice

I've been running NorthTube for a few days now. Here's what's actually different:

No ads. Period. Not "fewer ads" or "better ads." No ads. Your content plays, uninterrupted, unfunded by organizations you might oppose. That's it.

No algorithmic recommendations. You see what's recent or what you search for. That's it. Turns out this is fine. Maybe even better?

Smaller audience means real community. We're tiny right now. But that means everyone here chose to be here. No one stumbled in from an algorithmic recommendation. They came intentionally.

Transparent costs. Everyone can see exactly what NorthTube costs to run and where money goes. No mystery budgets, no VC pressure, no advertiser demands.

Moderation at human scale. We're small enough that moderation is manageable and nuanced, not automated and arbitrary.

Federation brings surprises. Your video can show up on other PeerTube instances. People from different communities discover your work. It's weird and cool.

The Hard Parts

Let me be honest about what sucks:

Discoverability is tough. Without an algorithm or massive user base, getting noticed takes more work.

Features lag behind YouTube. No automatic captions (yet). Upload process is clunkier. Mobile apps are rough. Transcoding is a work in progress.

Most people haven't heard of PeerTube. Explaining "it's like federated YouTube" gets blank stares.

Funding is uncertain. We're bootstrapping with community donations. That's unstable compared to ad revenue.

It's more work for everyone. Creators need to promote more. Viewers need to be more intentional. I need to actually moderate and maintain infrastructure.

You have a smaller audience. At least initially. That's the trade-off for ethical alignment.

These are real tradeoffs. NorthTube isn't "YouTube but better" - it's different, with different strengths and weaknesses.

Why This Matters

You might think: "One small video platform? What difference does that make?"

Fair question. Here's why it matters:

Personal integrity. I can sleep at night knowing my content isn't being used to recruit for organizations I oppose. That matters to me.

Proof of concept. Every community-owned, ad-free platform that succeeds proves the model works. We're not stuck with advertising-funded platforms forever.

Sovereignty. Canadian content on Canadian servers, governed by Canadians (and friends). That matters when governments can pressure companies.

Precedent. If NorthTube works, others will build similar things. The fediverse grows not through one massive platform, but through many connected communities.

Values alignment. Where you host your content is a statement. It says something about what you believe regarding ads, data, community, control, and what organizations you're willing to platform (even indirectly).

Hope. After years of platforms getting worse, building something that could get better feels important.

What You Can Do

If you're a creator:
- Try posting your next video on NorthTube alongside (or instead of) YouTube
- See if federated video works for your audience
- Know that no ICE recruitment ads will play before your Python tutorials

If you're a viewer:
- Browse NorthTube, find creators to support
- Share videos you love (federated platforms need network effects too)
- Consider supporting via Open Collective
- Vote with your attention for platforms that align with your values

If you're technical:
- Help improve PeerTube itself (it's open source)
- Run your own instance for your community
- Build tools that make the fediverse better

If you're none of these:
- Just knowing alternatives exist matters
- Tell creators you'd follow them off YouTube
- Ask yourself: am I okay with my viewing habits funding what YouTube funds?

The Bottom Line

I didn't leave YouTube because I'm a purist or because I think I'm better than people who still use it. I left because I hit my personal ethical limit.

When your content is used - even indirectly - to recruit for organizations that cause harm, you have three choices:

  1. Accept it as the cost of being on a "free" platform
  2. Demonetize but leave your content up (performative)
  3. Remove your content entirely and build something better

I chose option three.

I built NorthTube because I wanted something better to exist. Not perfect. Not massive. Just... better aligned with values I actually hold. A place where "we don't run ICE recruitment ads" is guaranteed, not hopeful.

Will it succeed? I don't know. Success might mean 50 regular users and sustainable funding. That's okay. That's enough.

Because ultimately, this isn't about beating YouTube. It's about proving we don't have to accept platforms that monetize through organizations we oppose. We can build things that serve communities instead of advertisers.

And if NorthTube fails? Someone else will build something similar. The tools exist. The desire exists. The need exists.

The platforms don't have to win.

Ready to try something different?

đŸŽĨ Visit NorthTube
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Written by Mathew Storm (smattymatty)
October 24, 2025