YouTube Is Experimenting With a Way to Get Rid of Ad Blockers for Good
YouTube is becoming more aggressive in the fight against ad blockers. According to the developer of SponsorBlock , an extension that automatically skips sponsored content in videos , YouTube is now experimenting with “server-side ad implementation.”
This is already an escalation. In a nutshell, server-side ad injection means that YouTube adds ads to the video stream itself. The company currently shows its ads to users as a separate video before the video you choose to watch. This allows ad blockers to identify the ad, stop it from playing, and download your video directly. However, if the advertisement is part of the video, the traditional ad blocking strategy will not work.
Even though SponsorBlock is not an ad blocker, this change will also break its services since adding ads to the video itself causes the video’s timestamps to be removed. SponsorBlock uses these timestamps to skip sponsored segments: Because ads vary in length and number, timestamp changes will be unpredictable and tools like SponsorBlock will not work as they are currently designed.
This is the latest development in the ongoing battle between YouTube and third-party ad blockers. While YouTube has always discouraged viewers from using ad blockers, last year the company began cracking down on the tool : When using certain ad blockers in some browsers, users would see a pop-up warning them to disable the ad blocker. If they continue to use the ad blocker, they may find that YouTube won’t load at all. Even if YouTube didn’t block the video entirely, the site could artificially slow down the loading time or skip to the end of the video . YouTube has also started using third-party clients with built-in ad blockers , so they are no longer a reliable alternative.
This new server-side implementation strategy isn’t official policy yet and is reportedly only in the testing phase, but it’s clear YouTube isn’t backing down here—and it’s not hard to see why. YouTube’s main source of income, like many other corners of the Internet, is advertising. By using an ad blocker, users block YouTube and its creators from making money from views.
Of course, using the Internet without an ad blocker is a little inconvenient, and has been for many years. Considering the rise in malicious advertising , using an ad blocker is actually a good cybersecurity practice. Heck, even the FBI recommends you use one of these .
There is a clear solution for YouTube: YouTube Premium . If you subscribe, you can watch YouTube virtually ad-free, without worrying about using an ad blocker to ruin your experience. While hardcore YouTube fans may find value in the service since it also comes with YouTube Music, casual YouTube users may be reluctant to add yet another subscription to their ever-growing list of streaming services . There is a one-month free trial so you can try it out without any financial commitment. And if you’re interested, YouTube now offers the following plans:
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Individual: $13.99/month or $139.99/year (save $27.89).
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Family: $22.99 per month for you and up to five other family members.
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Student: $7.99 per month.