YouTube is waging an unending war against ad blockers, and today, there seems to be a big update that is causing many users to assume that YouTube has gone down entirely.
Looking at Down Detector's graph, YouTube outage reports began spiking around 12 AM EST but didn't take off until about 6 AM. Thousands of reports have flooded in, making it seem like YouTube has indeed gone offline in some regions (via Tom's Guide).
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Another user claims it's "only happening on Chromium browsers and only when signed in," while another claims that using Firefox without being signed in is not triggering YouTube's anti-ad block measures.
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Microsoft's Edge browser seems to have come out unscathed. I personally just tested YouTube on Edge using uBlock Origin, and it's not giving me any playback issues.
You might still be able to load YouTube as usual, depending on which ad blocker and web browser you're using, but many will find today that it's either time to upgrade to YouTube Premium or find a new workaround.
What can I do to get around YouTube's anti-ad blocking system?
Ad revenue is an essential aspect of online business, something that YouTube's owner, Google, knows all too well. The company serves billions of ads every day across the global internet.
One way to avoid the issues with YouTube and ad blockers is to sign up for YouTube Premium, a subscription that costs $13.99 per month (or less if you subscribe for a whole year).
YouTube Premium removes ads from videos and allows for background play and downloads. It's a nice idea, but that's a steep price for a lot of people who don't watch that many videos but are nevertheless tired of the incessant, intrusive ads.
As I mentioned, it doesn't seem like every browser and ad blocker has been affected by YouTube's update. Edge and uBlock Origin are working fine for me, although your mileage may vary.
If you're more inclined to take matters into your own hands and don't mind tinkering with a Raspberry Pi, Windows Central's Richard Devine put together a handy guide on how to create a network-wide ad blocker that can't be stopped by Google.
FAQ
How does YouTube know I'm using an ad blocker?
YouTube/Google have never outright stated how it detects ad blockers, but there are some assumptions to make based on previous anti-ad block updates.
YouTube can see when a page fails to load an ad script, a sure sign that an ad blocker is in use. If your ad blocker gets around that, YouTube might also add some bait to non-ad scripts. When blocked, they let YouTube know what's up.
Is YouTube Premium worth the money?
That's really up to your current financial situation. YouTube Premium does indeed stop ads, allow you to download videos, and allows for background playback, but it doesn't come cheap.
It certainly makes sense for those who spend hours per day on YouTube, but for anyone casually enjoying the site, I'd recommend putting up with the ads or testing out a different combination of web browser and ad blocker.
Are ad blockers illegal?
No, ad blockers are not illegal in most countries, but websites can take it upon themselves to block users who have them enabled and thus are operating against the terms of service.
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