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*.*
May the force uBlock Origin be with you!
Update
Just wanted to mention a few things that have been pointed out in the comments:
- There are quite a few projects that provide an alternative ad-free front end to YouTube. These include Invidious, FreeTube, LibreTube, Newpipe, Revanced, and I’m sure there are several more options I’ve missed. I don’t have any particular preference really but I routinely use NewPipe on my cellphone just because I tried it once and couldn’t be bothered trying all the others.
- In step 4 listed above, to clarify, afaik you only need to remove adblocker extensions (if you have more than one installed) that might conflict with the uBlock Origin rules and trigger the anti-adblock, not all extensions.
- If you hate non-stop ads but want to support your favorite content creators then be sure to give them some love on Patreon or whatever alternative options they provide. Creators typically make only a tiny, tiny fraction of what YouTube makes in ad revenue, assuming YouTube doesn’t just outright steal the lot, and it’s a shitty business model that’s ruining the internet. Even if you watch the ads, you’re only supporting YouTube most of the time, not the creators.
I get if your position is that the ads are too intrusive, but if you don’t want ads at all, you need to understand that that is not a viable solution for free services. If your position is that you feel like your use of that service should be subsidized by others, who can afford it more, I can even understand that. But they do also offer an ad free experience for a fee.
I don’t love that they’re doing this, but I do understand it.
I’m seeing this narrative more and more: that somehow ads are good because they allow us to consume content without paying, but I strongly disagree.
Firstly, consumers pay for ads. If advertising of any kind was outlawed tomorrow (not realistic, I know) then ultimately that’s an expense that companies would not need to pay, and economic competition would result in a reduction of the cost consumers pay for those products and services.
Secondly, ads or subscription is a false dichotomy. No alternatives have been developed over the last two decades because the advertising model is the most profitable for corporations building the web.
Direct-to-content-producer funding is better for consumers and producers. Yes, no good model nor platform for this exists, because it hasn’t been developed.
Sadly, haughtily state “I do understand [youtubes revenue model]” is to have swallowed the fallacious assertion that the only possible options are ads or subscription.
What do you mean by direct-to-content-producer? I can’t find it on Google. Are you suggesting the viewers pay the content creator and the content creator pays YouTube for hosting?
Subscription is a reasonable funding method. It’s also reasonably priced. I think the bigger problem is companies that refuse to offer subscriptions, because Facebook knows no one is dumb enough to pay $15-20 a month, but that is what they make off the ads so offering the service for anything less would cause them to lose money. Merely offering the subscription shows users how much Facebook really makes off of them.
YouTube is also very generous with how much they spit revenue with creators. I don’t like that they exist as a monopoly, but at least they aren’t parasites like the other half of the web.
I mean exactly what it sounds like? Yes - paying content producers.
Paying youtube is a very “google centric” perspective. In 2023, what is YouTube actually providing? It’s basically user discovery via their algorithm - which is just another part of the ad revenue model.
Subscription is not a reasonable funding model. The cost is excessive for most users. Low-use users subsidise high-use users. Additionally, it presumes you only want one or a few sources of content - perpetuating a monopoly or oligopoly. Micropayments to producers would allow consumers to consume the content they want.
they mean pay the content creator directly to access their work.
If you want to watch a video it’s 25cents or a dollar or whatever and the money goes to the content maker
Who is paying to host?
They didn’t say “ads are good” what a totally egregious way to misrepresent what you just read
They said ads provide a revenue model for providing content to users. I paraphrased in an appropriate vernacular. It’s not a misrepresentation at all. The comment I replied to is expounding the virtues of advertising.