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YouTube's ad blocking crackdown is facing a new challenge: privacy laws

29 points by goplayoutside 3y ago

thot_experiment 3y ago
I stopped using youtube entirely for a few weeks when I got the popup the first time. I just recently watched a few couple videos and the popup seems to have disappeared? Maybe this shit is causing a bigger drop in numbers than they're comfortable with? It would surprise me if that was the case but I figure they're reporting "watch hours" to advertisers/investors and not "adblock-free watch hours". In order to keep misleading those people I could see them letting up on enforcement if it was causing a real numbers drop.
- riku_iki 3y ago
  > Maybe this shit is causing a bigger drop in numbers than they're comfortable with? they don't lose any revenue from people with AdBlocker leaving service.
  - PH95VuimJjqBqy 3y ago
    They can report them as viewers, which does have an effect on their bottom line. I can't say how much, maybe not enough for them to care.
- riidom 3y ago
  Most likely not really gone. They play a weird game of back-and-forth, it seems like. Expect to see the blocker again.
- jbverschoor 3y ago
  It’s a dangerous game they’re playing without exclusive contracts with creators
aneutron 3y ago
While I admire the valor in trying to get it undone under the privacy umbrella, Youtube can easily state that it is not a matter of privacy but a matter of DMCA (anti-circumvention mechanism) and at that point it a whole can of worm. I genuinely believe this game of whack-a-mole would end if Youtube stopped being greedy and offered a simple plan, than offered ONLY no ads. No stuffing of other products like Youtube Premium or whatever the case may be. You can keep static ads like they used to be, but let me pay 6 or 7€ per month and just not have intrusive video ads.
- isaacfrond 3y ago
  The DMCA is a US law, how could that be relevant?
  - aneutron 3y ago
    It's like using 'to google' instead of 'to search'. I was attempting to reference the DMCA-class of regulations about copyright protections
- thirdsun 3y ago
  > I genuinely believe this game of whack-a-mole would end if Youtube stopped being greedy and offered a simple plan, than offered ONLY no ads. No stuffing of other products like Youtube Premium or whatever the case may be. You can keep static ads like they used to be, but let me pay 6 or 7€ per month and just not have intrusive video ads. They just did that in several markets with the introduction of Premium Lite, which removes ads during video playback but doesn't include Youtube Music, background playback or offline downloads. Here in Germany it's 5.99 €. Nevertheless I think there's a significant part of the user base that will never pay for the product.
southernplaces7 3y ago
YouTube literally grew off the back of "illegal" music uploads by users, and profited greatly from their DIY content upload work, but now it wants to charge for its overall product while smugly cracking down on those that evade paying? Reeks of hypocrisy.

29 points by goplayoutside 3y ago

I stopped using youtube entirely for a few weeks when I got the popup the first time. I just recently watched a few couple videos and the popup seems to have disappeared? Maybe this shit is causing a bigger drop in numbers than they're comfortable with? It would surprise me if that was the case but I figure they're reporting "watch hours" to advertisers/investors and not "adblock-free watch hours". In order to keep misleading those people I could see them letting up on enforcement if it was causing a real numbers drop.

riku_iki 3y ago
> Maybe this shit is causing a bigger drop in numbers than they're comfortable with? they don't lose any revenue from people with AdBlocker leaving service.
- PH95VuimJjqBqy 3y ago
  They can report them as viewers, which does have an effect on their bottom line. I can't say how much, maybe not enough for them to care.
riidom 3y ago
Most likely not really gone. They play a weird game of back-and-forth, it seems like. Expect to see the blocker again.
jbverschoor 3y ago
It’s a dangerous game they’re playing without exclusive contracts with creators

aneutron 3y ago

While I admire the valor in trying to get it undone under the privacy umbrella, Youtube can easily state that it is not a matter of privacy but a matter of DMCA (anti-circumvention mechanism) and at that point it a whole can of worm. I genuinely believe this game of whack-a-mole would end if Youtube stopped being greedy and offered a simple plan, than offered ONLY no ads. No stuffing of other products like Youtube Premium or whatever the case may be. You can keep static ads like they used to be, but let me pay 6 or 7€ per month and just not have intrusive video ads.

isaacfrond 3y ago
The DMCA is a US law, how could that be relevant?
- aneutron 3y ago
  It's like using 'to google' instead of 'to search'. I was attempting to reference the DMCA-class of regulations about copyright protections
thirdsun 3y ago
> I genuinely believe this game of whack-a-mole would end if Youtube stopped being greedy and offered a simple plan, than offered ONLY no ads. No stuffing of other products like Youtube Premium or whatever the case may be. You can keep static ads like they used to be, but let me pay 6 or 7€ per month and just not have intrusive video ads. They just did that in several markets with the introduction of Premium Lite, which removes ads during video playback but doesn't include Youtube Music, background playback or offline downloads. Here in Germany it's 5.99 €. Nevertheless I think there's a significant part of the user base that will never pay for the product.

southernplaces7 3y ago

YouTube literally grew off the back of "illegal" music uploads by users, and profited greatly from their DIY content upload work, but now it wants to charge for its overall product while smugly cracking down on those that evade paying? Reeks of hypocrisy.