I’m sure many of you are already aware that YouTube has been rolling out anti-adblock detection for Chrome users for a few weeks now.
Today, as a long time Firefox user with the fantastic uBlock Origin extension installed, I got my first anti-adblock popup on the platform. Note that this may not happen to you personally for a while, but it is inevitably coming for everyone.
Thankfully, the fine folks at uBlock Origin have already advised a simple workaround (on Reddit, yuck!) which I will duplicate in a simplified form below for your convenience. I have tested it on Firefox and it is working fine for me (so far).
PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS POST.
Update uBO to the latest version (1.52.0+) . <== The extension itself, for technical improvements. You do this in your browser.
Remove your custom config / reset to defaults. <== This means removing your custom filters (or disabling My filters) and disabling ALL additional lists you’ve enabled. It might be quicker to make a backup of your config and restore to defaults instead.
Force an update of your Filter Lists. <== This is within the extension. Lists are what determine what’s blocked or not.
How to update Filter lists: Click 🛡️ uBO’s icon > the ⚙ Dashboard button > the Filter lists pane > the 🕘 Purge all caches button > the 🔃 Update now button.
Disable all other extensions AND your browser’s built-in blockers. <== No need to uninstall, just disable them. They might interfere with our solutions.
Make sure you follow all 4 points above. If you’re seeing the message, it’s likely due to your custom config (either additional lists or separate filters in My filters).
Restarting your browser afterwards may help too.
Once you’ve gotten rid of the issue on default settings, you can slowly start restoring your config (if you really need it). Do it gradually, to easier find out what was causing the issue in the first place. Once you find the culprit, simply skip it in your config.
If you want to use Enhancer for YouTube*, you have to* disable its adblocking*.*
While that may be the case, when by terms of service the “fee” you pay to consume YouTube content is adverts, by blocking those adverts you are not paying the “fee” therefore it kinda is piracy. The argument about adverts with malicious intent or ones that are specifically designed to be deceptive is a different argument, though relevent for why said piracy occurs.
YouTube is free to you because you watch adverts. Otherwise you pay for YouTube premium. By using ad-blockers you circumvent these agreements.
I wholly support ad-blocking for the record, literally used ad-blockers my entire life and have absolutely no qualms with usage.
What do you think of privacy frontends to Youtube like Piped and Invidious, where users never have to abide by the Youtube TOS (implicitly nor explicitly). Is the complete circumvention of Youtube’s UI more, or less “piracy”?
There’s also the argument that adblocking but buying merch, using sponsor links and/or providing direct financial support to the channel provides significantly more income to the creator than the ads for your individual views ever would.
Personally I take a much more individualistic view of “I hate ads and can’t afford YouTube’s adfree offering so I use an adblocker instead” but I don’t see the need to defend my choice to starve the creator of the $0.05 in ad revenue I might have generated them otherwise
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⚓ Dedicated to the discussion of digital piracy, including ethical problems and legal advancements.
While that may be the case, when by terms of service the “fee” you pay to consume YouTube content is adverts, by blocking those adverts you are not paying the “fee” therefore it kinda is piracy. The argument about adverts with malicious intent or ones that are specifically designed to be deceptive is a different argument, though relevent for why said piracy occurs.
YouTube is free to you because you watch adverts. Otherwise you pay for YouTube premium. By using ad-blockers you circumvent these agreements.
I wholly support ad-blocking for the record, literally used ad-blockers my entire life and have absolutely no qualms with usage.
What do you think of privacy frontends to Youtube like Piped and Invidious, where users never have to abide by the Youtube TOS (implicitly nor explicitly). Is the complete circumvention of Youtube’s UI more, or less “piracy”?
There’s also the argument that adblocking but buying merch, using sponsor links and/or providing direct financial support to the channel provides significantly more income to the creator than the ads for your individual views ever would.
Personally I take a much more individualistic view of “I hate ads and can’t afford YouTube’s adfree offering so I use an adblocker instead” but I don’t see the need to defend my choice to starve the creator of the $0.05 in ad revenue I might have generated them otherwise
It’s not an illegal form or copying though. It’s the equivalent or turning off the radio when an ad comes on, then turning it back on once it’s over.
But no one is stopping you from turning off your monitor until the ad is over and then turning it back on.
Why would I do that when it can be automated with a script that removes HTML and scripts responsible for ads?