YouTube crackdown on ad blockers leaves users with “unskippable nothingness”
YouTube / Studio KharaYouTube will show you a black screen for up to 30 seconds if you are using an ad blocker, according to several users on social media.
YouTube has been in a battle against ad blockers. The Google-owned company wants more users to subscribe to its Premium service. However, users are looking to avoid paying and bypass ads using ad blockers.
In recent years, YouTube has been working hard to make ad blockers ineffective, and its latest move might be the final nail in the coffin.
We reported in June that YouTube would start serving server-side ads to block ad blockers. Now it seems the video-sharing platform has finally implemented that. The result of this move is 6 to 30 seconds of nothingness.
Redditors OreOfChlorophyte and JazzlikeJackfruit372 have reported seeing up to 31 seconds of a black screen when watching YouTube videos with an ad blocker enabled (specifically uBlock Origin).
OreOfChlorophyte suggested that the black “unskippable nothingness” could be the ads YouTube injected on the server side. Since the ad blocker is trying to block these ads, users end up seeing a black screen.
Server-side ad injection is when ads are delivered straight from the server hosting the content. Normally, YouTube ads are added to your device using scripts that ad blockers can detect and block.
However, with server-side ad injection, YouTube will mix ads into the content before it even gets to your device, making it way harder for ad blockers to filter them out. Twitch already does this, which is why it’s almost impossible to avoid their ads with ad blockers.
It’s unclear just how widespread these ads are and if all ad blockers are affected. uBlock Origin users have definitely taken a hit, though.
“YouTube is improving its performance and reliability in serving both organic and ad video content. This update may result in suboptimal viewing experiences for viewers with ad blockers installed,” a YouTube spokesperson told Dexerto.
“Ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service, and we’ve been urging viewers for some time to support their favorite creators and allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.”
Earlier this year, YouTube announced that it is cracking down on ad blockers, and users employing these third-party apps may experience buffering issues or encounter errors. In May, users reported that YouTube was penalizing those using ad blockers by skipping the entire video.