YouTube Blocking Ad Blockers and Users see black screens instead of ads, as the platform intensifies its crackdown on ad-blocking extensions.
InShort
- Some YouTube users with ad-blockers see Black Screens for a few seconds before their videos play.
- These black screens are likely partially blocked ads by the extensions.
- YouTube has been working on new technology to inject ads, making them harder to block.
YouTube Blocking Ad Blockers: Showing Black Screen
In recent years, YouTube has been actively combating ad-blocking viewers, introducing a three-strikes policy for those using ad-blocking extensions. Now, it seems the platform is implementing yet another tactic to thwart these extensions.
Reports from several Reddit users indicate that black screens lasting between six and twenty seconds appear before videos start. These screens are thought to be blocked ads, aligning with speculation that YouTube is using server-side ad injection technology.
This technology embeds the ad directly into the video stream, making it difficult for ad-blockers to bypass them completely. While the extensions can block the ad’s content, they cannot skip the duration of the ad.
Although YouTube hasn’t officially commented on this ad injection technology, they did release a statement yesterday about upgrading their “safety standards for browser extensions on YouTube.” These updates aim to protect viewers and creators from cyber threats like hijacking or data theft.
While some Reddit users aren’t too bothered by a few seconds of black screen, this development, along with the removal of YouTube Vanced and the existing three-strikes policy, highlights YouTube’s strong push for users to consider YouTube Premium.
ALSO READ:
