For the past month, YouTube has ramped up its efforts in the ongoing battle against ad blockers, introducing server-side ads that are proving increasingly difficult to bypass. Now, many users report encountering a black screen when attempting to watch videos, marking the latest move in YouTube’s aggressive strategy to push users towards its Premium subscription.
YouTube’s New Strategy to Counter Ad Blockers
YouTube has been intensifying its efforts to combat ad blockers and encourage users to subscribe to YouTube Premium, which starts at €12.99 per month. Over the past year, the streaming giant began delaying video playback, creating artificial lag on browsers other than Chrome and Edge. This issue seemed to disproportionately affect users with ad blockers installed.
In April, YouTube confirmed it was displaying anti-ad blocker messages to affected users, encouraging them to switch to its Premium service. However, ad blockers quickly found ways around these prompts, continuing the cat-and-mouse game between YouTube and its users.
Just a month later, Google took its efforts a step further, causing videos to auto-skip when an ad blocker was detected. This was later revealed to be a bug related to Adblock Plus. Users of Firefox accused YouTube of intentionally degrading the experience on non-Chromium browsers, though this claim was never definitively proven.
The Black Screen Dilemma
Now, reports have emerged that users are encountering a black screen on YouTube that lasts about six seconds before videos begin. This phenomenon has been observed across multiple browsers, including Firefox, Edge, and Vivaldi. Some users have even joked that they prefer seeing a black screen over an ad, despite losing a few precious seconds of their time.
A simple workaround to bypass this black screen is to refresh the page by pressing F5 as soon as it starts loading. Additionally, uBlock Origin’s filters have been updated to address this issue, with the extension automatically updating its filters. If users still encounter the black screen, they can manually update the filters through the extension’s dashboard.
Last month, YouTube revealed its new approach of injecting server-side ads, making ad blockers nearly obsolete. Unlike traditional ads, these new ads are directly integrated into the main video stream, making them harder to block.
A War of Attrition for Users
Chrome users may also notice a warning that “these extensions may soon no longer be supported,” signaling a new offensive by Google to make ad blockers even less effective. This escalating battle is becoming increasingly frustrating for users, who feel that Google‘s efforts are pushing them to use content blockers rather than attracting them to become Premium subscribers.
As YouTube continues to tighten its grip on ad blockers, the platform’s war against these tools is far from over. Users are left navigating an ever-changing landscape of workarounds and new challenges, all while weighing the benefits of ad-free viewing against the growing inconvenience.
My name is Noah and I’m a dedicated member of the “Jason Deegan” team. With my passion for technology, I strive to bring you the latest and most exciting news in the world of high-tech.