Google is waging war on ad blockers on YouTube. The platform is always finding creative ways to keep ads on its videos, or to prevent users from watching content until they disable their blockers... or pay for a Premium subscription.
The latest salvo: testimonies from several users report that YouTube is now displaying a black screen for the usual duration of ads before a video plays. At the same time, a message appears in the video player inviting you to consult this support sheet from Google. The company asks to check browser extensions, "including ad blockers."
It appears that these annoying delays are affecting users with Google or YouTube accounts that have been identified as using an ad blocker in the past. The platform can thus directly target these users, regardless of the browser or extension used. The developers of these extensions were quick to spot YouTube's little game, and for some of them, have already developed workarounds. "A classic cat-and-mouse game," AdGuard told PCWorld.
It's a safe bet that Google is preparing a response, which will once again be undermined by blockers, and this little game will continue until everyone accepts ads... or subscribes to a Premium subscription that (legally) eliminates advertising! But at €12.99 per month, not everyone can really afford it. YouTube recently launched a new, cheaper Premium Lite plan (€5.99 in Germany), but unfortunately it's still not available in France.
Source: PCWorld
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