I have found this thread on Endevaour OS forums where the OP looks for viable options: https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/privacy-focused-youtube-workflow/69414/17
Still, you were lucky that your colleagues are aware of alternatives and will use it (I hope). I wonder though if people will migrate because of you. Its tough to encourage others to communicate Signal while majority use Messenger or Whatsapp. Their reasoning for that is the most friends and family member are on mainstream solutions.
Signal is an interim solution imo for most people, which I also recommend. Not too extreme, not to “geeky”, which introduces them to alternative app world.
Recently Freetube, which I mainly use for Youtube stopped working and I had a pleasure to open Youtube link in incognito mode. Adverts popping up on the beginning of every video, in random moments while video was playing and when switching to specific timestamp made me realize how much I should be thankful for adblockers and alternative frontends.