YouTube is continuing its fight against ad blockers, adding a new approach to make it more difficult for users to avoid commercials. SponsorBlock, an ad blocker, recently claimed that YouTube is attempting server-side ad injection on a small number of users. This implies that adverts are inserted directly into videos before they reach your device, as opposed to the former system, which included sending ads separately and allowing software to detect and remove them.
SponsorBlock noted that this new method upsets their service by shifting all timestamps based on the length of the commercials, making it difficult to precisely skip sponsored parts.
A Google spokesperson confirmed the test, stating that YouTube is working on “improving its performance and reliability in serving both organic and ad video content.” They stated that this upgrade may result in a “suboptimal viewing experience for viewers with ad blockers installed.” Google reaffirmed that employing ad blocks is against YouTube’s Terms of Service and recommended viewers to subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.
This development is part of an ongoing spat between YouTube and ad blocking developers. Last year, YouTube included a pop-up that blocked users from watching videos with ad blockers active. Ad blockers have attempted to stay up with YouTube’s attempts to ensure that adverts are seen.
Ghostery’s director of product and engineering, Krzysztof Modras, pointed out that YouTube, as one of the world’s largest publishers, is constantly investing in ways to bypass ad blocking. He observed that YouTube seems to be updating its methods more frequently than ever.
AdGuard, another ad-blocking provider, stated that, while the server-side strategy is new to YouTube on the web, similar approaches have been utilized in their mobile apps for some time. AdGuard expressed optimism that the ad-blocking community would discover new solutions, albeit with tremendous work and innovation.
The current war between YouTube and ad blockers is expected to continue, with both sides constantly refining their strategies to outmaneuver the other.
Source : YouTube is testing another way to combat ad blockers | TechCrunch
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