Last updated: October 11, 2025
Learn how Poke handles user data and what information (if any) is stored. Spoiler: we don’t collect personal data at all. @@ -93,6 +98,7 @@
Last updated: October 11, 2025
Our Code of Conduct explains how we keep Poke a safe, queer-friendly, and inclusive space.
@@ -108,17 +114,206 @@
→ View Licenses
- By using Poke, you agree to the terms and policies listed on this page. - These documents exist to protect both you and the project — and may grow over time as new sections are added or updated. -
- -- Poke is provided as-is, with no warranty or promise that it’ll always work perfectly. - If something breaks, causes weird behavior, eats your tabs, or refuses to play nice with another program — that’s not on us. - Nobody involved in developing, modifying, or distributing Poke is responsible for any loss of data, time, or sanity that might happen while using it. -
+Last updated: October 17, 2025
++ Poke functions as a privacy-friendly frontend for YouTube, providing an alternative interface + to publicly available YouTube content. It allows users to watch videos, view metadata, and explore channels + without being tracked, profiled, or exposed to intrusive advertisements. +
++ All videos, thumbnails, and metadata are retrieved from YouTube’s public endpoints using + reverse-engineered, community-understood protocols such as youtubei (used internally by YouTube’s own clients). + We do not use the official YouTube Data API v3, nor have we ever agreed + to Google’s API Terms of Service. Therefore, we are not contractually bound by those terms. + A similar case involving the Invidious project was raised by YouTube’s legal team in 2023 + (GitHub Issue #3872), + and no legal action was taken, as such usage is within lawful grounds. +
++ Under United States law (17 U.S.C. § 512(a)), part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), + intermediaries that “transmit material through a system or network without modification of its content” are lawful. + Poke qualifies under this protection because it only passes data between YouTube and the user without altering content. +
++ In the European Union, the project is protected under Directive 2001/29/EC + of the European Parliament, which permits “temporary acts of reproduction that are transient or incidental + and an integral part of a technological process” enabling network transmission. + Poke’s operation — fetching, parsing, and displaying transient data — fully complies with this legal definition. +
++ Poke is not illegal. It does not redistribute or rehost copyrighted material, + nor does it bypass technological protection measures. It simply acts as a neutral layer + for viewing publicly available YouTube data in a privacy-focused way. +
++ Poke does not endorse, agree with, or moderate the videos, channels, or comments it displays. + All such content originates directly from YouTube and remains under the control of its creators and YouTube itself. + The Poke Project cannot verify, censor, or selectively remove content, as it merely provides a client-side proxy + to what YouTube already serves publicly. Opinions expressed in YouTube videos do not represent the views + of the Poke Project, its maintainers, or contributors. +
++ If you encounter unlawful or infringing content, please report it directly to YouTube via their official tools. + If you believe Poke is displaying something incorrectly, you may reach out to us at our issue tracker: + https://codeberg.org/ashley/poke/issues +
+Last updated: October 17, 2025
++ The Poke Project strictly prohibits the use of its content, data, or media streams + for training, fine-tuning, or feeding any form of artificial intelligence or machine learning models. + This includes, but is not limited to, video content, metadata, comments, thumbnails, transcripts, + and other data accessed through the Poke interface. +
++ The materials displayed through Poke are subject to copyright owned by their respective creators + and may not be reproduced or processed for automated learning systems. + Using YouTube data or Poke’s interface for AI dataset creation would constitute unauthorized reuse + of copyrighted works and therefore violates this policy. + Any organization or individual found scraping, aggregating, or storing Poke content for AI training + purposes will be considered in direct violation of this policy and may face reporting or blocking + from our network services. +
+Last updated: October 17, 2025
++ Contributors to the Poke Project are welcome to use AI-assisted coding tools + such as code autocompletion, linters, or assistants — provided that they understand and verify + the code being submitted. Automated or unverified contributions that contain insecure, unclear, + or copied proprietary code are not acceptable. +
++ AI-assisted coding is allowed, but all contributors are responsible for ensuring their changes + meet the project’s quality, security, and licensing requirements. + The Poke maintainers cannot guarantee that AI-generated code will always be correct, safe, + or efficient — contributors are expected to review and test thoroughly. + + AI-assisted coding is OK — but use it wisely, understand your code, + and never rely on it blindly. +
+Last updated: October 17, 2025
++ The Poke Project values clean, readable, and consistent code across all modules and languages. + Contributors are encouraged to: +
++ Code consistency helps keep Poke maintainable, accessible, and true to its free software ideals. + Before submitting a pull request, contributors are encouraged to test their changes + and make sure they integrate smoothly with the existing codebase. +
+Last updated: October 17, 2025
++ Poke is and shall always remain Free Software as defined by the + Free Software Foundation. + The project is permanently licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3 (or later), + ensuring users’ rights to use, study, modify, and share the software freely. +
++ The core philosophy of Poke is freedom — not monetization. Poke will never include proprietary components, + paywalls, or tracking scripts. The software and all its source code shall remain fully accessible + to the public for all time. +
++ Community mirrors, forks, and rehosts of Poke are explicitly allowed and encouraged, + provided they follow the terms of the GNU GPLv3 license and maintain proper attribution to the Poke Project. + These mirrors strengthen software freedom and accessibility. +
+Last updated: October 17, 2025
++ Poke is developed and maintained with love and care, but it is still provided entirely “as is.” + We do not guarantee perfect performance, uninterrupted uptime, or freedom from bugs and technical glitches. +
++ Poke is primarily developed and tested on Firefox and other standards-compliant browsers. + While it should function on most modern browsers, full compatibility on Chromium-based or alternative browsers + cannot be guaranteed. +
++ The Poke team cannot promise that every feature will always function as expected or remain available in the future. + Servers may experience downtime, network issues, or maintenance breaks without notice. +
++ While we do our best to maintain stable service, no warranty is provided for uptime, speed, or data integrity. + Your usage of Poke implies acceptance that unexpected behavior or interruptions may occur. +
++ The project maintainers, contributors, and distributors are not liable for any damages, losses, or inconvenience + caused directly or indirectly by using Poke, its APIs, or related software. +
++ Poke does not offer any commercial guarantees, technical support, or service-level agreements. + It is a volunteer-driven, community-based project made freely available for everyone. +
+LEGAL VERSION (WARRANTY POLICY):
++ THE POKE PROJECT IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. + THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, + AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. + SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION. + IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY, + WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF, OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE + OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. NO GUARANTEES OF UPTIME, PERFORMANCE, OR FUNCTIONALITY ARE PROVIDED. +
+Last updated: October 17, 2025
++ Poke includes an internal filter system that identifies commonly known disinformation and conspiracy sources + such as InfoWars, Breitbart, Daily Mail, RT, and others. + This system serves only as a warning mechanism to encourage users to verify what they read. + You are free to access or view such content — the warning does not restrict access, censor, or block anything. + It merely provides informational context based on publicly available fact-checking records. +
++ Users are encouraged to cross-reference claims, verify sources through reliable outlets, + and remain mindful of misinformation when browsing external links or content. + The Poke Project does not control, filter, or prevent access to these domains; + the warnings are purely educational in nature. +
++ By continuing to use Poke, you confirm that you’ve read and understood these terms. + These documents exist not to restrict you, but to protect your rights, our contributors, and the long-term health of the project. + Poke’s policies may evolve over time to reflect legal updates, infrastructure changes, or community feedback. + We encourage you to revisit this page occasionally to stay informed about the latest updates. +