YouTube is trying to shut down Invidious, sending the site a cease-and-desist order to the app’s developers.

Invidious is an open source app that lets users watch YouTube videos without ads, and without being tracked. Given that ads and tracking are the lion’s share of YouTube’s income, the video platform is not happy with the open source app.

Spotted by Vice, YouTube has issued Invidious’ developers a cease-and-desist, saying the app violates the platform’s API policy.

“We recently became aware of your product or service, Invidious,” reads the letter. “Your Client appears to be in violation of the YouTube API Services Terms of Service and Developer Policies.”

Invidious developer TheFrenchGhosty made clear they have no intention of stopping development and explained why in a blog post:

Even though this e-mail is invalid from the start (since Invidious doesn’t use any part of the YouTube API and doesn’t do anything illegal), some people people asked me why I’m not stopping my work on Invidious, so here’s the explanation:

The e-mail is addressed “To Whom It May Concern”, the reality is that it doesn’t “concern” me.

The e-mail continues with “We recently became aware of your product or service, Invidious (“Your Client”), which is being offered at invidious.io.” here lies the important part:

Invidious isn’t my “product or service”, it isn’t “my Client”. I don’t own any part of it and it isn’t trademarked by me. Moreover it isn’t “offered at invidious.io” (though, it is unrelated to the premise of this post).

Invidious also isn’t “me” or “mine”, therefore, I wasn’t asked anything.

This is the important part, which make this whole e-mail unapplicable by me by design.

Invidious isn’t my project, I don’t own Invidious or the “Invidious” trademark, I’m not Invidious, I don’t represent Invidious. I’m just… me.

Given the inherent problems TheFrenchGhosty points out in YouTube’s cease-and-desist, it will be interesting to see if YouTube’s complaint gets any traction.