YouTube is apparently stepping up the fight against ad blockers

YouTube has apparently taken up the fight against ad blockers once again. On social networks such as Reddit, there are increasing reports of warning signs on YouTube stating that ad blockers are not permitted on the video platform. Many, if not all, of the affected users have been using ad blockers that have worked up to now. YouTube has probably found new ways to recognize them. The warning messages are intended to persuade users to allow ads or take out a paid subscription.

In October 2023, YouTube apparently expanded its crackdown on ad blockers and also displayed warnings against the use of such solutions in Germany after testing them in the USA in the previous months. YouTube's tougher approach has led to hundreds of thousands of users uninstalling adblockers in order to continue watching videos. This is because YouTube will no longer play videos if an ad blocker is detected.

Adblocker detected, but loopholes remain

Now YouTube has probably started a new round against ad blockers, as numerous messages on Reddit show. Many users use browser extensions in Firefox to bypass advertising. Now YouTube has apparently found ways to recognize them and close the corresponding loopholes. This is because practically all of the contributors use the free and open-source browser extension uBlock Origin to block advertising and unwanted scripts or website elements. So far, this has also worked for YouTube, and users are now waiting for an update from the developer to restore the functionality.

However, another trick should continue to work. If the YouTube video starts with advertising, simply click on "Share" and then select "Embed", the video will be displayed again in a new window next to the embed code and can be watched there without ads. Full-screen display is also possible. YouTube has not yet closed this loophole, but there are other tricks for watching YouTube without ads.

Data protectionists criticize ad blocker detection

Ad blockers are one of them, but it remains to be seen whether they will be usable on YouTube again in the future. It's the well-known cat-and-mouse game when a platform takes action against unwelcome solutions, and the developers then improve their software to remain usable.

YouTube's action against ad blockers is controversial. In the opinion of data protection experts, YouTube's ad blocker detection violates EU law as it is carried out on the personal devices of YouTube consumers. This could violate European data protection law, which is intended to prevent the illegal spying on users. However, according to YouTube, ad blocker detection is carried out within YouTube and not on users' end devices. However, a procedure with server-side ad blocker detection is not yet known.

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