1) Install Freetube client ( https://freetubeapp.io ).
2) Install Privacy Redirect browser extension ( https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect#get ).
3) In the browser extension's "Advanced" settings tab, enable the "Use Freetube over Invidious when possible" switch ( e.g. https://addons.mozilla.org/user-media/previews/full/241/2414... ).
In YouTube started slowing video buffer with adblock enabledSimonBrazell
privacy-redirect
JavaScript2019–2024
SimonBrazell / privacy-redirect · Archived
privacy-redirect
A simple web extension that redirects Twitter, YouTube, Instagram & Google Maps requests to privacy friendly alternatives.
39Distinct people
47Mentions
1Explicit recommenders
2.2KGitHub stars
What to know before exploring
What it is
A simple web extension that redirects Twitter, YouTube, Instagram & Google Maps requests to privacy friendly alternatives.
GitHub
Where it is used
The source check is incomplete. Verified examples will appear here.
What people are saying
I have resorted to just using my own nitter install for all things twitter. Here's an example from a public instance [1]. Of course this is read-only but that's all I want,…
black_puppydog used a recommendation phrase. One indexed comment matches. This is a phrase match, not a verdict.
No classified warning is attached to this page. Read the discussions before treating silence as approval.
Also in these discussions
- libredirect/browser_extension · linked in 4 of the same discussions
- gorhill/ublock · linked in 2 of the same discussions
Mentioned in the same Hacker News threads. That is not proof they are substitutes.
This week on Hacker News
Nov 7–Nov 14 UTC · Direct repository links and separately labeled related project stories. Indexed through 11/14/2026, 3:56:07 PM UTC.
No direct repository links were found in the indexed HN discussions over the past seven days. Older discussions are available below.
Mentions over time
HN mentions by year47 dated mentions
Observed mentions: 2019-11-15 15:39:25 UTC to 2024-01-14 05:39:08 UTC.
Counts come from the repository’s dated source evidence. Index cutoff: 2026-11-02 08:16:59 UTC.
View mention counts and date ranges
| Period | Start (UTC) | End (exclusive, UTC) | Mentions | Submissions | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2019-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| 2022 | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| 2023 | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 1 | 0 | 1 |
From the project README
An excerpt from the repository, fetched Nov 13, 2026.
Read the project’s introduction
Get
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About
A web extension that redirects Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Google Maps, Reddit, Google Search, & Google Translate requests to privacy friendly alternative frontends for those sites - Nitter, Invidious, FreeTube, Bibliogram, OpenStreetMap, SimplyTranslate & Private Search Engines like DuckDuckGo and Startpage.
It's possible to toggle all redirects on and off. The extension will default to using random instances if none are selected. If these instances are not working, you can try and set a custom instance from the list below.
Custom instances
Privacy Redirect allows setting custom instances, instances can be found here:
Nitter instances
Invidious instances
Bibliogram instances
SimplyTranslate instances
OpenStreetMap tile servers
Reddit alternatives:
Libreddit
Teddit
Snew
Old Reddit & Mobile Reddit, purported to be more privacy respecting than the new UI.
Google Search alternatives:
SearX
DuckDuckGo
Startpage
Ecosia
Qwant
Mojeek
Presearch
Whoogle
Development
Install Dependencies
Node.js >=10.0.0 installed
npm install
Build
npm run build
open web-ext-artifacts/
Test
npm run test
License
GPLv3.
Permissions
Please note, access to all website navigation events ( all URLs), not just the target domains, is required to allow embedded video redirects to occur. At this time I know of no other way to achieve iframe redirects, happy to hear some suggestions on this though 🙂
Privacy Policy
See the Project Wiki.
Read the full README on GitHubWhat Hacker News says
47 sourcesThere is an open-source browser extension called Privacy Redirect which will turn all Twitter links you click into Nitter links [0].
This also turns Reddit links into Libreddit/Teddit links, YouTube links into Invidious links, etc.
Basically you get to browse an Internet without intrusive pre-roll ads or outrage algorithms. I think based on your comment that this might be of interest to you.
[0]: https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect/
In AI Generated PropagandaHere's a bit more as to why: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35480811
The project also doesn't actually make clear if it's actually private and not just MITMing it's own users to track them - as has been pointed out on several[0][1] privacy focused browser extensions that haphazardly included Wikiless.
[0]: https://framagit.org/tom79/nitterizeme/-/issues/61#note_1122...
[1]: https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect/issues/232#...
In Codeberg – Fast open source alternative to GitHubYou can actually pair this with a browser extension: Privacy Redirect[0].
You can setup your own self-hosted instances or existing third party ones. It's a game changer both for privacy and UX.
[0]: https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
In Ask HN: Is StackOverflow Dying?Thanks, I'll look into it. Here are the links for both projects:
https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
https://github.com/libredirect/libredirect/
LibRedirect looks good!
In Nitter.it: Unavailable for Legal ReasonsHow does this compare against the similar Privacy Redirect? https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
In LibRedirect: Redirect YouTube, Twitter, Instagram to privacy friendly servicesSome popular sites have alternative interfaces, e.g. Twitter → Nitter. They are a much better user experience if you just want to lurk. Configure your browser to automatically redirect:
• https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect#custom-inst...
• https://einaregilsson.com/redirector/ (use for Imgur → Rimgo until Privacy Redirect has it)
In John Carmack on avoiding distractionsTry installing Privacy Redirect[0] and replace Youtube with an Invidious instance. You'll get all the content you care minus the atrocious algos (plus some obvious privacy bonus).
[0]: https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
In Tell HN: Had to delete my YouTube accountIf you want just to browse reddit then you can do that through teddit or libreddit front-end instances. And with extensions like Privacy Redirect [1] you can do it automatically.
There are also front-ends for twitter and instagram but these seem to be most faulty - sometimes it takes a while to reach a stable instance and extension tends to overwrite manually selected instances.
Edit: seems there's already a fork of mentioned extension but it's available for manual installation [2]
[1] - https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
[2] - https://github.com/libredirect/libredirect
In Twitter CEO fires two top executives, freezes hiringPrivacy redirect or libRedirect
https://github.com/libredirect/LibRedirect
https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
In eBay Robbed This Man of $4700 and Suspended His Account When He Asked QuestionsI use this: https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
In What are your most used self-hosted applications?The solution to the Youtube-problem is to use a Youtube-frontend like Invidious [1] in combination with an extension like Privacy Redirect [2] of libredirect [3] so you don't need to touch the Youtube site at all. The same works for things like Twitter and Reddit (which can be redirected to front-ends offering the same content) or Google Maps, Google Search and Google Translate (which get redirected to alternative services). Some of these alternatives - Invidious for Youtube, Nitter for Twitter, libreddit for Reddit - can (but don't have to) be run on your own server, others use established services. This way you get the benefits of accessing content from adversarial services like Twitter and Youtube without having to interface with them directly on any device you use, not just that phone you happened to install some alternative front end
Read the rest
like Newpipe on. You can "subscribe" to Youtube channels without telling Google you did so, you can access those subscriptions from anywhere, etc.
Ditch that Youtube app and while you're at it ditch the rest of those Google apps as well. Freedom is just one click away: Are you sure you want to uninstall this app? [OK].
[1] https://github.com/iv-org/invidious
[2] https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
[3] https://github.com/libredirect/libredirect
Try Nitter instead
https://nitter.net/flobo09/status/1502645866204704773
No need to login either.
I have seen
https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
linked here so I use it.
In Microsoft is testing ads in the Windows 11 File ExplorerInstead of the terrible Twitter website, have you considered Nitter[0] with an extension like Privacy Redirect[1] (or on mobile, an app like UntrackMe[3])? No login prompt, no dark patterns, no JavaScript
[0] https://github.com/zedeus/nitter
[1] https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect
[2] https://f-droid.org/packages/app.fedilab.nitterizeme/
In Twitter's new Tor onion serviceShowing the 15 most recent of 47 sources. Enable JavaScript to search and browse every indexed mention.