My guess,

1. It was too hard to create a non-authenticated algorithm which could let users delete their past participation.
2. They realized their non-auth algorithm was exposing too much info about what is going on during the upcoming election. And they are afraid that people will see all the fasc recommendations.

Not a Bug.

This is more of a feature than a problem IMO.

Most services (like meta/Facebook/Instagram/anything owned by zuck', the service formerly known as Twitter....) are going to a model of: you need an account to even see anything posted publicly.

Not just extremely limited information like LinkedIn, like, instant redirect to "you need to be logged in to see this" or simply a login page.

At least you can still find something you want to see, and go and watch it... With ads and everything, sure, but the information is there and accessible.

Fantastic news.

will this affect invidious/piped?

they also dont recommend anything on your homepage when you're signed in if you don't have your watch history turned on (as if they're not tracking it anyway)

lol, who cares

deleted by creator

YouTube definitely not bullying users into staying signed it so that Google can aggregate more data about you /s

Meh. For all the YT I consume, I haven't visited the site in years. yt-dlp, sponsor block, invidious, and newpipe keep me far away, while still having all my subs stored in a json file. Simple, easy, no algo suggestions, just organic heard about them from word of mouth sub on an alternative platform. No ads, no sponsor or patreon mentions, no like, no subscribe. Is bliss.

EDIT: Typo fix and slight rewording.

I noticed this a few days ago or so and I was delighted by it. I never sign in to YouTube and hated the garbage recommendations on the homepage.

Service to humanity.

You search for one thing and it starts showing recommendations.

I fail to see how this is a bad thing. Youtube's old default homepage would show scam and content mill recommendations.