This year has seen a fundamental shift on YouTube regarding advertising and adblockers. Not only is YouTube showing popups to some users who use adblockers, to get them to uninstall them or buy YouTube Premium, Google is also working on making adblockers in Chrome less effective.
Without going into too many details. Chrome’s system for extensions will be updated in 2024 to only allow extensions that follow a new rule set. Called Manifest V3, Google claims that it improves privacy of users and combats rogue extensions. At the same time, it is also limiting legitimate extensions, many of which impact Google’s bottom line.
Most content blockers work fine right now. While you may get the “ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube” popup message, it is easily dealt with by updating the filter list of the extension.
The change impacts other Chromium-based browsers to a degree. Some, like Brave or Vivaldi, include native adblockers that will continue to work.
2024 changes everything, or maybe not
Come 2024, things may not be as straightforward anymore. Extensions need to be updated by their developers to support the new rules set. Those that are not updated can’t be used anymore.
Those that are updated need to follow the new rules. Besides imposing certain limits on extensions, Google is also enforcing all updates through its Web Store.
Content blockers rely on frequent updates to deal with an ever changing advertising landscape. Advertisers may rename scripts or move them, and content blockers need to update filters before these are blocked.
Most content blockers rely on filter lists. These lists are updated directly at the moment. Once support for Manifest V2 is dropped, these updates need to be pushed through the Chrome Web Store.
One problem here is that updates take anywhere from a few hours to days or even weeks. Google is in control of these updates, and the situation will worsen only if everything is forced through the Web Store’s review process.
Imagine the following scenario: Advertiser A makes a change on the site. Filter lists are updated. Updates are pushed through the Chrome Web Store. The review takes hours or days. Until it passes the review, ads may be displayed on the advertisers property.
Now imagine an advertiser that constantly changes scripts and tactics.
Remove Adblock Thing
Extensions are not the only option that users have to combat advertising and privacy invasions on the Internet. There are several other options, including DNS-based solutions and also userscripts.
Remove Adblock Thing is such a script. You need to install an extension in your browser of choice that supports scripts. A popular option is Tampermonkey, which is available for Chrome, Firefox and many other browsers.
The userscript blocks YouTube’s anti-adblocker popup. Besides that, it will also mute, skip or speed up ads on the site to improve its usability.
Here is how you install it:
- Download Tampermonkey for your web browser. The official website has links to all stores.
- Load https://github.com/TheRealJoelmatic/RemoveAdblockThing/blob/main/Youtube-Ad-blocker-Reminder-Remover.user.js next in your browser.
- TamperMonkey should identify it immediately as a script and display its install option.
- Select install to add it to the extension.
The script works automatically on YouTube and it includes an update URL as well.
Closing Words
The main benefit of the script is that it offers another option to skip or bypass ads on YouTube. Even if adblockers stop working temporarily or permanently, you may use Tampermoney with this script instead.
Now You: do you use adblockers or userscripts?
I certainly do use adblockers as well as userscripts, though the latter for other reasons than blocking ads.
When it comes to YouTube, the uBlock Origin handles at this time YouTube’s energized anti-adblockers policy, at least on Firefox. Checking that : [https://drhyperion451.github.io/does-uBO-bypass-yt/]
Personally I use a front-end for all of YouTube videos (videos, channels, playlists).
If the choice is to use a script such as the one mentioned here, I personally remain cautious about Tampermonkey :
– Is Tampermonkey an unsafe extension to use?
[https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/m4pv03/is_tampermonkey_an_unsafe_extension_to_use/]
– Is TamperMonkey a safe browser extension?
[https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/nbcwvt/is_tampermonkey_a_safe_browser_extension/]
I believe the Violentmonket userscript manager is a far better choice to handles scripts.
Using Firefox ESR in permanent private browsing mode with uBlock Origin (+ many filterlists…) and “Enhancer for YouTube” add-ons, the latter with “Block ads” checked in the options.
I don’t ever see ads, or anti-adblock spam, on YouTube. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
Not sure which add-on is doing the job – I suspect it’s mainly uBO – but I keep Enhancer for other reasons as well.
I’ve played with user scripts in the past but am not comfortable with them, especially when there are better-peer-reviewed solutions.