I get that it started for free with less intrusive ads, but YouTube has had a huge impact on the way we all share and consume information. Understanding how much money it takes to run a service with the technology needed to provide high definition videos on a site that is up 99.9999999% of the time, I have no issue paying for a service that has changed my life in many positive ways. Now I do hate price gouging like everyone else, but it’s inescapable from gas & groceries to all streaming platforms.
Becuase the difference between Spotify and Google is massive?
Compare the criticisms of them and at worst Spotify rips off artists and price gouges. Google enables genocide, Orwellian surveillance, pushing alt right incel propaganda to everyone, etc. on top of ripping off artists and price gouging.
Spotify also pays Joe Rogan a truly insane amount of money to platform liars and right-wing grifters to his audience of millions.