YouTube recently escalated its efforts to block ads, evolving from a limited experiment to a global initiative.
The outcome, however, has been somewhat counterintuitive, as an increasing number of users are embracing more effective ad-blocking solutions.
In October, hundreds of thousands of users uninstalled ad blockers, seemingly in response to YouTube’s intensified crackdown, as reported by Wired.
Simultaneously, data reveals that an unprecedented number of people are turning to alternative ad-blocking tools that circumvent YouTube’s restrictions.
Krzysztof Modras, a representative of Ghostery, one of the more popular ad-blockers in Chrome’s extension store, disclosed that they observed three to five times the typical number of installs and uninstalls in the past month. Over 90% of those who uninstalled the extension cited its failure on YouTube as the primary reason. Surprisingly, the company experienced a 30% surge in installations on Microsoft Edge, as users sought viable alternatives.
AdGuard, another prominent ad-blocker, usually witnesses around 6,000 daily uninstalls on Chrome.
However, this number skyrocketed to 11,000 per day from October 9 to month-end, reaching a peak of 52,000 on October 18.
Notably, the paid version of the extension seemed impervious to YouTube’s restrictions, drawing in up to 60,000 installations on October 18 and October 27.
Presently, YouTube’s crackdown on ad-blockers has spurred a quest for more effective alternatives. Some users have turned to solutions like Newpipe, a YouTube-like platform that runs videos without ads.
Industry experts, including Modras, warn that YouTube’s measures could lead to the development of more sophisticated ad-blocking tactics, potentially resulting in unintentional security vulnerabilities.
For those seeking alternatives, extensions such as uBlock Origin remain functional on Firefox. Adblock Plus has also suggested methods to navigate the anti-ad block measures.
Alternatively, users can opt for YouTube Premium to access an ad-free experience.
