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YouTube vs PeerTube: The Data Privacy Comparison

Explore how France's PeerTube prioritizes user privacy and security over the US-based YouTube. Discover which platform aligns with your data protection needs today.

Last updated: February 6, 2026โ€ขReviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to PeerTube?

What You Gain

Gain better privacy protection and control over content.

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Potential loss of features and user experience quality.

YouTube has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is a priority; stay with YouTube for features.

At a Glance

Data Location
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธUS

US data laws

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ทFR

GDPR protected

Pricing

YouTube

Contact

PeerTube

Contact

Migration
Medium difficulty~2-4 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaYouTubePeerTube
Server Location
US, EU (Google data centers worldwide)EU (Self-hosted, varies by instance)
GDPR Compliance
FullFull
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalOptional
Data Portability
Full exportUnknown

CLOUD Act Notice

YouTube is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. PeerTube is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
YouTube logo

YouTube

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Google

VS
Switching to
PeerTube logo

PeerTube

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท

PeerTube

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-Based
Open Source
Self-Hostable
EU-hosted

Reasons to Switch

  • โœ“PeerTube is fully GDPR compliant, ensuring EU data protection.
  • โœ“Open-source nature allows customization and community-driven features.
  • โœ“Self-hosting options let users control their data and server location.
  • โœ“No ads or monetization pressure, fostering genuine content sharing.

Things to Consider

  • !Migration involves manual uploads; no direct transfer from YouTube.
  • !Limited audience reach compared to YouTube's 2 billion users.
  • !Learning curve for managing self-hosted instances and configurations.
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~2-4 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~2-4 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create PeerTube account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from YouTube

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to YouTube

Ready to make the switch?

Start using PeerTube today and take control of your data privacy.