YouTube intensifies fight against ad blockers showing pop-ups, and users are frustrated

Shawn Knight

Shawn Knight

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What just happened? YouTube is taking a stand against the use of ad blockers to circumvent advertising content on its platform. A spokesperson for the Google-owned video platform recently told Insider that YouTube has launched a global effort urging viewers running ad blockers to either enable ads on the site or try its premium (paid) ad-free experience.

The rep added that using an ad blocker on YouTube is against the site's terms of service.

"Ads support a diverse ecosystem of creators globally and allow billions to access their favorite content on YouTube," the spokesperson noted.

YouTube started limiting video views for ad-block users back in June as part of a limited experiment, with some users receiving prompts informing them that the video player would be blocked after three videos if they did not disable the blocker or sign up for YouTube Premium.

At that time, YouTube Premium, the subscription ad-free experience, was priced at $11.99. Over the summer, however, YouTube quietly increased the price of the membership by nearly 17 percent to $13.99 a month, or $139.99 for a full year (which works out to about $11.66 per month).

Impacted users have been increasingly vocal about the change on social media platforms like X and Reddit, with some sharing tips on how to get around YouTube's ad-blocker detection using various browser extensions and other tweaks. Others are adamant in their belief that submitting to YouTube's wishes will result in a permanent ad blocker ban.

Cracking down on ad blockers is a viable way for Google and YouTube to increase ad revenue. Is it possible that they could lose some viewers over the ad block stance? Sure, but it is much more plausible that revenue will increase overall as some existing ad block users will no doubt choose to whitelist the site rather than lose access entirely. Others might also wish to support YouTube through a Premium subscription and continue with an ad-free experience. Plus, even if some users stop using YouTube, there won't be a loss of revenue because those users weren't watching ads anyway.

Image credit: Card Mapr

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/100524-youtube-intensifies-fight-against-ad-blockers-users-frustrated.html

 
Lew Zealand said:
I probably watch enough YT to get the fingerwag from our YT Overlords but haven't yet. My AdBlock updated itself last night so they may be keeping up with the arms race, we'll see.
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Same.

I do also have an extension that "allows" ads on certain channels I want to see them on, but I set those ads to get cut off at 5 seconds regardless.

All I can say is youtube is not going to win this one without seriously impacting normal users. Power users will find a way to remove any elements YT thinks will either force ads to said users, or tries to detect it...
 
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Maybe, when youtube sends me ALL the money they have made from selling my data over the years (which they make regardless of adblock, see the dead internet theory), and rip out ALL data tracking off of their platform, and stopped making their ads so annoyingly long and frustrating full of suspicious BS and fake Xs and garbage like that, I would consider it. The only website I know of that has accomplished this is techpowerup.

As it is, this is a greedy thief reselling your data over and over daring to ask you to pay a subscription so he can continue to violate your privacy.

World's smallest violin. Dont forget the countless small creators YouTube has utterly screwed over the last 15 years. ""Ads support a diverse ecosystem of creators globally and allow billions to access their favorite content on YouTube," " rings as hollow as a politician's promises.
 
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Google makes billions off of ad revenue. They're just so greedy that the billions they make isn't enough along with the billions they make off of data mining, so they're working hard to force their youtube to show ads by finding a way to completely bypass adblockers or force those that do use adblockers to disable and/or subscribe.

Just another reason why I have no need for such a site.
 
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When YT stops censoring, shadow banning, non-notified muting, etc. or whatever they are doing then I'll consider paying for it. I don't mind paying a fair price for a service that is good and that I like. However YT has turned into a public forum, and while yes I do think it should have moderation to remove hate and threats, the censorship needs to stop. They want to decide what is misinformation, but that is not their role. Let the community have an open discussion, that is how a free society works - unless you're a communist. Are you a communist, YT? Until this stops... YT can go to hell and I'll block their ads all I want. There are more of us than there are of them and the more they discourage us the more we'll go to other platforms which will eventually replace YT.
 
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Youtube is just terrible all around right now, even if you block all "normal" ads, youtubers themselves then burn another 1-3 minutes pushing either their own merch or someone elses.

at this rate youtube will just collapse on itself.
 
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My only regret is that somebody hasen't come along with a truly compedative site like the "old youtube" and run them out of town .... but they will get the point when enough of us quit them for good .....
 
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Uncle Al said:
My only regret is that somebody hasen't come along with a truly compedative site like the "old youtube" and run them out of town .... but they will get the point when enough of us quit them for good .....
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There's just no money in it. youtube has lost money its entire existence, propped up by alphabet.

They'd have much better luck if 720p and up were subscription only, to pay for bandwidth and video hosting. That would at least make sense.
 
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kira setsu said:
Youtube is just terrible all around right now, even if you block all "normal" ads, youtubers themselves then burn another 1-3 minutes pushing either their own merch or someone elses.

at this rate youtube will just collapse on itself.
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Sure it is annoying but no one is forcing you to buy it, or even listen to it... you can skip that part if you want. A lot of people like creators they watch and want to support them. This seems like such a small thing to complain about in the grand scheme of things, but that's just my little opinion.
 
Theinsanegamer said:
There's just no money in it. youtube has lost money its entire existence, propped up by alphabet.

They'd have much better luck if 720p and up were subscription only, to pay for bandwidth and video hosting. That would at least make sense.
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The parent company(ies) is huge... you're probably right in that they aren't making much money off YT though, the amount of bandwidth it uses is massive no doubt and the monies they bring in from ads and even subscriptions is probably not anywhere close - but they did it to themselves. Had they not been greedy floppy disks, offered real value to subscriptions, and didn't stab their customers in the back then they'd probably be doing better.

YouTube is really just a big thumbs down now... but we don't know how many, because they won't show us that.
 
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I saw this popup the other day, So I shut the tab with youtube on and haven't been back. I already stopped using it on my TV ages ago due to the massive volume of adds, They have made the cost of using it too high for me now. As with all things internet, There are plenty of other things to do and places to go.
 
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Re: "even if some users stop using YouTube, there won't be a loss of revenue because those users weren't watching ads anyway."

This may be true from Google's perspective, but not necessarily from the content creator's. I get the sense from some of the larger channels I watch that Google's ad share is not that lucrative, and the real money in it for the creator is from the sponsorships they sell themselves, the merchandise, and other business opportunities made possible by their large audience.
 
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Marco Mint said:
For everyone out there using chrome and complaining about this.
2+2=4
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It's happening on most browsers - popped up on mind 5 days ago Chrome - just blocked the element and refreshed - repeated that over a few days - haven't seen another add yet - 2 seconds to block and refresh

Gave my son - not showing anything anymore - but he seemed to have sorted it - no special github or targetted prog either.
YT will get some more people, some will turn off completely - but will never get those who hate forced adverts and tech savvy - I don't watch adverts on TV - except fast forward at half time - if haven't left room to make a coffee do some quick exercises etc
 
"Ads support a diverse ecosystem of creators globally and allow billions to access their favorite content on YouTube," the spokesperson noted.

The hell they do. They support the corporations and their rot programming you keep trying to court. The creators who are worth a damn are always constantly at odds with your algorithm, trying to grow their audience and channel as YouTube promotes major corporations and garbage like SniperWolf and KallMeKris.

"Cracking down on ad blockers is a viable way for Google / YouTube to increase ad revenue."

Yet they keep reducing the ad share/revenue for creators on the platform if they don't fall into a myopic formula and constantly beat them down with unclear content guidelines and inconsistent enforcement of those guidelines.

The ad blockers are going to win the fight against YouTube's popups/ads. They always do.
 
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