The phrase refers to the practice of using YouTube’s privacy settings to upload videos that are not publicly visible and are intended solely for the uploader’s personal use. This involves setting the video’s visibility to “Private” or “Unlisted.” A “Private” video is only accessible to the uploader and individuals they specifically invite. An “Unlisted” video is not searchable or visible on the uploader’s channel page, but can be viewed by anyone who has the direct link.
The utility of this approach lies in its capacity to function as a secure, readily accessible personal video repository. Individuals can leverage YouTube’s infrastructure for storage and playback without sharing content broadly. This can be useful for backing up personal footage, creating a private video diary, or sharing videos with a very select group of people. Before widespread cloud storage solutions, this method offered a convenient alternative for video preservation and controlled distribution.
