Google Cracks Down on Adblock

[Steven Bogos]

Google Cracks Down on Adblock

Google appears to be cracking down on Adblock for its Chrome browser, forcing users to watch full, unskippable, YouTube ads.

The "Adblock" ethical debate [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/8854-The-Adblock-Episode] is one that has divided people on the internet for a long time (NB: pretty please white-list The Escapist from your Adblock!) and it now looks like Google is taking some forceful steps to block the blocker, at least within its own Chrome browser. Reports are coming in that users watching YouTube videos on Chrome with the extension installed are being forced to watch full, 3+ minute commercials, without the option to skip them after ~10 seconds like non-Adblock users can.

The workaround seems to be affecting not just the original uBlock [https://adblockplus.org/]. Essentially, the workaround tricks the extension into seeing the "Skip Ad" button as an advertisement itself, meaning the only way you can restore your ability to skip ads is to either uninstall the extension, or whitelist YouTube.

You can bet that this is a result of bought the service [http://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-still-doesnt-make-google-any-money-2015-2] back in 2006.

I'm certain it won't be long before Adblock updates itself to get around the workaround, but for now users have discovered that uninstalling the YouTube App from Chrome seems to stop the Adblock bypass.

Source: Neowin [http://www.neowin.net/news/google-chrome-reportedly-bypassing-adblock-forces-users-to-watch-full-length-video-ads]

Permalink

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Well it makes sense. Store fronting adblock on Chromes app store is like leaving your keys in the front door on your way to work.

 

[wizzy555]

What happened to the premium service youtube was preparing? I would probably pay for that.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Just to be clear, this is only for the YouTube App, right?
just I can't imagine this helping anything if they are going to put in ads longer then the actual video...

 

[loa]

So less people will use google chrome and more people will use firefox.
Good job, google.

 

[gigastar]

Well, it was bound to happen eventually.

And the AdBlock devs will no doubt circumvent this by the end of the week.

Gotta wonder if this is a one-off for Google or if theyre going to continue breaking AdBlock on Youtube.

 

[thewatergamer]

Regardless of your opinion on adblock I don't get what google is trying to accomplish, all they have done here is create a bunch of firefox users...

For the record, my thoughts on adblock can be summed up with Jim Sterlings "The Adblock Episode" pretty sure you can dig it up somewhere if you haven't seen it

 

[thewatergamer]

Just to be clear, this is only for the YouTube App, right?
just I can't imagine this helping anything if they are going to put in ads longer then the actual video...

I don't think so? According to the article users have just figured out that uninstalling the app "fixes" it, so I doubt that google intended them to be able to workaround it, but yeah, google is really shooting themselves in the foot if they actually think they can pull this off...

Double post apologies

 

[Jaggededge11]

I use Firefox because Chrome is a Ram guzzler, and stuff like this doesn't make me thing twice about my decision.

 

[teqrevisited]

If adverts weren't annoying as hell and three times as loud as the actual videos then this might not be as big an issue.

 

[Ukomba]

white-list the escapist after Jim and Bob left.

If google is really doing this, I'll be switching to a different browser.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Soooo...just don't use Google Chrome? Firefox forever! Yes, I whitelist the Escapist. It would be good if you could whitelist specific Youtube channels as well.

 

[Elfgore]

Let me tell you a quick story about a lovely little site.

Fakku is one of the most well-known and legit hentai sites in the west. One day, they role out a new form of advertisement. This ad causes a small screen to load up in front of a hentai on the first page, you just hit exit and be on your merry way. Ad block users ran into an issue where the ad would not load and the hentai would be unable to easily change pages and the first page you selected would be blank. I noticed that someone in their forums placed a thread asking what was happening with this, he even straight up said "I think my ad-blocker is causing this". Jacob Grady, owner and founder of the website responds with "Yes, we aware that the new ad type causes issues solely for ad-block users. We have our tech team working on it ASAP. Sorry for the inconvenience."

The owner of a website, which is most likely how he makes most of his money, is having his tech team fix something that is only effecting ad-block users and even apologized for it. You may be asking "Elfgore, what's the point with all this?" The point is that ad-block is something that website owners need to realize they can not stop. Trying to stop it just hurts yourself, as I'm sure most people would just travel to another site rather than deal with your annoyances. Several websites acknowledge this, Fakku, The Mod Nexus, and I'm sure many others. They understand ads are annoying, but they have to use them to keep the site afloat. Google, this is a terrible idea. People will just jump over to the next available browser rather than deal with your shit. You should just include a constant link to download Firefox throughout that whole 3 minute, un-skipable ad. Saves people some time at least.

I'm not condoning the use either. I just think that a large portion of the internet uses ad-block as an objective fact. Birds fly, fish swim, and people use ad-block a bunch.

 

[Makabriel]

The choice whether to block ads or not to block ads has always boggled me. I never buy something from a commercial. NEVER. Not one ad I've ever seen has tempted me to buy something. So why should I have to tolerate them? They're not getting money out of me, so you're wasting both our time trying to get me to..

 

[Sight Unseen]

Soooo...just don't use Google Chrome? Firefox forever! Yes, I whitelist the Escapist. It would be good if you could whitelist specific Youtube channels as well.

You can with Adblock. when you're on a video from the channel you want to whitelist you just click the adblock button and choose "whitelist channel"

 

[Zombie_Fish]

You can bet that this is a result of bought the service [http://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-still-doesnt-make-google-any-money-2015-2] back in 2006.

All while Google themselves blow tonnes of money on developing driverless cars, drone delivery, quantum annealing computers, air balloons with Wi-Fi, preventing illnesses affected by old-age and god-knows what else, none of which are likely to see major commercial results soon and at least three of which already have established competitors researching in the same area: Uber on driverless cars, Amazon on drone delivery and D-Wave on quantum annealing.

A lot of Google's products don't make money.

EDIT: Oh hey, look, Facebook is challenging Google on delivering Wi-Fi in poorer countries too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQxXf6MYpzw

 

[Fox12]

Is that why I've been watching 3+ minute long videos of Neil Degrasse Tyson lately? How annoying. What gets me is that I didn't even know it was my adblock. I just assumed youtube was high on something. Welp, Firefox it is then. Google has been pissing me off lately, and youtube hasn't helped.

There's a reason I refuse to touch Hulu.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Soooo...just don't use Google Chrome? Firefox forever! Yes, I whitelist the Escapist. It would be good if you could whitelist specific Youtube channels as well.

You can with Adblock. when you're on a video from the channel you want to whitelist you just click the adblock button and choose "whitelist channel"

I don't get that option, all I get is:

Spoiler

 

[Sight Unseen]

Soooo...just don't use Google Chrome? Firefox forever! Yes, I whitelist the Escapist. It would be good if you could whitelist specific Youtube channels as well.

You can with Adblock. when you're on a video from the channel you want to whitelist you just click the adblock button and choose "whitelist channel"

I don't get that option, all I get is:

Spoiler

Go into the options and check the box that says "Allow whitelisting of specific youtube channels"

 

[wings012]

The choice whether to block ads or not to block ads has always boggled me. I never buy something from a commercial. NEVER. Not one ad I've ever seen has tempted me to buy something. So why should I have to tolerate them? They're not getting money out of me, so you're wasting both our time trying to get me to..

The point is, the owner of the website gets revenue just from the ads loading.

So by reading webcomics with adblock on, you're essentially burgling the webcomic artist.