The war between YouTube and ad blockers continues

Will the long-running dispute between YouTube and ad blockers soon come to an end? According to SponsorBlock, an ad blocker extension, the video platform is testing server-side ad injection on a limited number of users. As TechCrunch explains, this means that the ad is injected into the video before it reaches the user's device (unlike client-side ad injection, where ads arrive on the device separately), making it harder for software to detect and block the ad. This testing confirms YouTube's position, which it announced in May that it would be stepping up its fight against ad blockers, arguing that they violate the platform's terms of use and prevent creators from earning money.

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.
— SponsorBlock (@[email protected]) (@SponsorBlock) June 12, 2024

The American giant is increasingly encouraging its users to subscribe to YouTube Premium so that they can enjoy content without being hindered by adverts. The price varies between €7.99 and €23.99, a sum that could be considered substantial in an age of "subscription fatigue". It's a feeling of frustration and overwhelm experienced by consumers who find themselves inundated with subscription services and products. For years, YouTube has used various tactics to suppress ad blockers: by slowing down the loading of pages in the presence of an extension such as UBlock Origin, by displaying pop-up messages notifying that it was necessary to disable blockers in order to view content etc. However, it seems that none of these techniques has succeeded in knocking out the blockers. Each time, they manage to adapt and find solutions so that users can browse the platform without being bombarded with ads.

@carterpcs Do you use adblock? #carterpcs #tech #techtok #adblock #youtube Blue Blood - Heinz Kiessling

On the legislative front, YouTube has been accused of violating the European directive on "privacy and electronic communications". Last year, privacy activist Alexander Hanff filed a complaint with the EU's independent data regulator accusing YouTube of failing to seek explicit user consent for its ad-blocker detection system. The war between YouTube and ad blockers is likely to go on for a long time yet...