Netflix is bringing ads to paying customers. Lets not assume Youtube will be ad free if you pay, because the whole business model is shifting away.

Regards the history thing, YT/google dont actually need that. They have their own register of users and histories. Not sure why they need to tell you to “switch it on” unless you’re actually consenting to something else? Third party tracking, perhaps?

A lot of users are switching to sites like LBRY and Odysee, even Rumble. I’ve been using Odysee to watch stuff lately.