Weedout – Safari extension that hides YouTube AI-labeled videos

I'm the developer. I built this because AI-generated conspiracy videos were getting out of control in my own YouTube feed. Weedout is a $1.99 Safari extension for macOS that removes videos YouTube labels “Made with AI” from feed, search, related videos, playlists and Shorts. It uses YouTube's label rather than AI detection, runs locally, and does not catch unlabeled videos.Source for developers who want to fork or build: https://github.com/masteranza/weedout-for-youtubePull requests are not accepted; the repository is for independent forks.

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28

out of 100

Verdict

SKIP

medium confidence

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A $1.99 Safari extension that filters YouTube videos labeled as AI-generated, addressing one person's feed problem with a tool that depends entirely on YouTube's labeling accuracy.

The pain

AI-generated conspiracy videos polluting YouTube feeds. The creator experienced this personally and built a filter. Real pain exists, but it's narrow: only affects Safari users on macOS who encounter labeled AI content and want it removed.

The gap

YouTube labels some AI-generated content, but inconsistently. This extension surfaces that existing label rather than detecting unlabeled AI videos. The gap between what YouTube labels and what's actually AI-generated remains unfilled. Users wanting comprehensive filtering won't get it.

Build angle

The creator solved their own problem and open-sourced it. This is honest and respectable. However, the business model (one-time $1.99 purchase) doesn't scale with effort. The tool only works if YouTube maintains accurate labeling, a dependency the creator doesn't control. If YouTube changes their labeling system or API, the extension breaks.

Strengths

  • Solves a real, specific problem the creator experienced
  • Runs locally with no data collection or tracking
  • Open-sourced for community forks and improvements
  • Simple, focused feature set with low complexity
  • Transparent about limitations (doesn't catch unlabeled videos)

Risks

  • Market size is tiny: Safari-only, macOS-only, niche use case. Estimated addressable market under 50,000 users globally
  • Revenue model broken: $1.99 one-time purchase generates ~$100-500/month at best, insufficient to justify ongoing maintenance
  • YouTube dependency: Any API change, label format change, or policy shift breaks the extension. No control over core functionality
  • Competitive pressure: YouTube could build this natively, or users could request it as a native feature
  • User acquisition nearly impossible: No organic discovery path, no network effects, no reason for users to recommend it
  • Maintenance burden: Browser updates, YouTube changes, and bug fixes require ongoing work for minimal revenue
  • Labeling accuracy: Extension only works if YouTube's labels are accurate. If YouTube mislabels or under-labels, users get false negatives

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