YouTube intensifies crackdown on adblockers with this new restriction

vtqhtr413 said:
www.ghacks.net

Is Google deliberately slowing down YouTube video buffering for adblock users? - gHacks Tech News

Is Google deliberately slowing down the buffering of videos on YouTube for visitors who use an ad blocker?
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I don't often use YT directly, if on a desktop I normally use Freetube and occasionally one of the invidio.us instances and Piped on a phone. But I have felt for a while that the buffering time has increased at times, not always during peak hours nor consistently, so it could be other factors like the increasingly dodgy fibre service around here.
 
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www.androidpolice.com

YouTube has now begun skipping videos altogether for users with ad blockers

Video playback resumes to normal when ad blockers are disabled
www.androidpolice.com www.androidpolice.com

Summary​

  • YouTube is cracking down on ad blockers, testing tactics like slowing down video load times and skipping videos to push users towards Premium.
  • Some users are experiencing issues like no sound, stuck videos, and videos skipping all the way to the end when using ad blockers.
  • Despite efforts, users are finding workarounds via specific browser extensions and VPNs to watch ad-free YouTube videos.
Click to expand...
 
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silversurfer said:
www.androidpolice.com

YouTube has now begun skipping videos altogether for users with ad blockers

Video playback resumes to normal when ad blockers are disabled
www.androidpolice.com www.androidpolice.com
Click to expand...
Some users are experiencing issues like no sound, stuck videos, and videos skipping all the way to the end when using ad blockers.
Click to expand...
I have experienced these issues for the past few days now, i have to reload site everytime to get video working. Kinda annoying but adguard extension still doing its job:unsure:
 
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Yesterday I posted:
YouTube experimenting with server side ad injection.

But today I got a message from the forum admin that the post was deleted and merged with this one.
However it somehow got lost in the process... (?). :unsure:

https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/1de7hvp/youtube_experimenting_with_server_side_ad/
SponsorBlock (and DeArrow) (@sponsorblock@fosstodon.org)

YouTube is currently experimenting with server-side ad injection. This means that the ad is being added directly into the video stream.
This breaks sponsorblock since now all timestamps are offset by the ad times.
For now, I set up the server to detect when someone is submitting from a browser with this happening and rejecting the submission to prevent the database from getting filled with incorrect submissions.
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nicolaasjan said:
But today I got a message from the forum admin that the post was deleted and merged with this one.
However it somehow got lost in the process... (?). :unsure:
Click to expand...
I see now that it was probably the message above from @brambedkar59, which I can't see for some reason on Firefox.
It is in a hidden Iframe... :D

screenshot_20240613-2.png
 
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I had a will to pay for YouTube Premium, but with all those tries to block ad blockers, limiting the quality/bitrate for free users, making YouTube experience worst for users of other browsers, experimenting with server-side ad injection; I lost that will.

In fact, I'm 🤏 close to stopping visiting their website at all and using Invidious, FreeTube and similar apps only. I just wish there was a NewPipe version for Windows because FreeTube is REALLY, REALLY buggy.
 
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if they essentially make Premium the only way to block ads then I want to be able to skip all paid promotions too.
 
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Set your VPN to Albania and experience an AD free YT. This is because YT has no contract in Albania to show ads, so they are not allowed to show ads in YouTube.
I use Mullvad VPN on my Chromecast set to Albania and watch YT without any ads. Make sure you enable :


1718460479533.png


1718460557139.png


Also works on phones and computer.
 
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Hell, I don't even watch YouTube on my iPhone for this reason. I think $13.99/mo is pretty decent for getting YouTube (and Music) Ad-Free, but if you factor in all the other subscriptions that you pay for a month, it really adds up.
 
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Oxygen said:
Hell, I don't even watch YouTube on my iPhone for this reason. I think $13.99/mo is pretty decent for getting YouTube (and Music) Ad-Free, but if you factor in all the other subscriptions that you pay for a month, it really adds up.
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Then see my post above yours for free YT without ADS !
 
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Jengo said:
Set your VPN to Albania and experience an AD free YT. This is because YT has no contract in Albania to show ads, so they are not allowed to show ads in YouTube.
I use Mullvad VPN on my Chromecast set to Albania and watch YT without any ads. Make sure you enable :


View attachment 283802

View attachment 283803

Also works on phones and computer.
Click to expand...
Besides Albania, you can also choose Russia. Due to the sanctions of YouTube, which has deprived the monetization of videos viewed by users from Russia, all video views from Russian IP are ad-free.
 
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Yeah, I've noticed that too! It seems like YouTube is really stepping up its game against adblockers. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out and if people start looking for alternative ways to enjoy ad-free content. Have you found any good workarounds or alternative platforms?
 
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