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Privacy Features

React Lite YouTube Embed is privacy-first by default. This guide explains how privacy features work and how to configure them.

Privacy-Enhanced Mode (Default)​

By default, all videos load from youtube-nocookie.com, which:

  • ✅ Blocks tracking cookies until the user clicks play
  • ✅ Prevents automatic data collection by YouTube
  • ✅ GDPR/CCPA compliant by default (user consent via click)
  • ✅ No performance impact - works exactly like standard YouTube
Privacy-Enhanced Mode (default)
<LiteYouTubeEmbed
  id="dQw4w9WgXcQ"
  title="Video Title"
/>
// Uses youtube-nocookie.com automatically

Standard YouTube Mode​

If you need personalized ads or analytics, you can opt into standard YouTube:

Standard YouTube with cookies
<LiteYouTubeEmbed
  id="dQw4w9WgXcQ"
  title="Video Title"
  cookie={true}
/>
// Uses youtube.com with full tracking
Cookie Consent

When using cookie={true}, you should obtain user consent before rendering the component, as it may track users even before they click play (depending on your cookie consent implementation).

Ad Network Mode​

Similar to cookie prop, but more explicit about enabling personalized ads:

Enable ad network
<LiteYouTubeEmbed
  id="dQw4w9WgXcQ"
  title="Video Title"
  adNetwork={true}
/>
// Uses youtube.com for personalized ads

Compliance​

GDPR (Europe)​

Privacy-enhanced mode (default) is GDPR-compliant because:

  1. No cookies are set until the user clicks play
  2. The user action (clicking) serves as consent
  3. No personal data is collected before interaction
GDPR-compliant by default
<LiteYouTubeEmbed
  id="VIDEO_ID"
  title="Video Title"
  // No cookie prop needed - privacy mode is default
/>

CCPA (California)​

The same privacy-first approach satisfies CCPA requirements:

  • No personal information is "sold" before user consent
  • User has clear control (must click to activate)
  • Data collection is transparent (only after iframe loads)

Referrer Policy​

Control what information is sent in the Referer header:

Strict referrer policy
<LiteYouTubeEmbed
  id="VIDEO_ID"
  title="Video Title"
  referrerPolicy="no-referrer"
/>

Options:

  • no-referrer - No referrer information sent
  • strict-origin - Only send origin on HTTPS → HTTPS
  • strict-origin-when-cross-origin - Default, balanced approach
  • All standard values

Privacy Checklist​

For maximum privacy:

Maximum privacy configuration
<LiteYouTubeEmbed
  id="VIDEO_ID"
  title="Video Title"
  cookie={false}            // Default: privacy-enhanced mode
  adNetwork={false}         // Default: no ad network
  referrerPolicy="no-referrer"  // No referrer info
  lazyLoad={true}          // Don't load thumbnail until in viewport
/>

Comparison Table​

FeatureDefault (Privacy Mode)cookie={true}
Domainyoutube-nocookie.comyoutube.com
Cookies before click❌ No✅ Yes
Tracking before click❌ No✅ Yes
Personalized ads❌ No✅ Yes
GDPR compliant✅ Yes⚠️ Requires consent
Performance⚡ Same⚡ Same

Next Steps​