this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2023
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YouTube's plan backfires, people are installing better ad blockers (www.androidauthority.com)
submitted 2 years ago by L4s@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
45 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

YouTube's plan backfires, people are installing better ad blockers::People are installing and uninstalling ad blockers in record high numbers as a result of YouTube's anti-ad blocking efforts.

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[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 131 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I used to use AdBlock Plus. I like it specifically because of the Acceptable Ads policy where it allows through ads that are unobtrusive. Because I believe in supporting sites that want to fund themselves, as long as they do it in a way that isn't obnoxious.

But unfortunately ABP hasn't gotten around YouTube's new adblock-wall. So I've switched to uBlock Origin in the meantime. Which unfortunately doesn't do acceptable ads. So well done Google, you've now forced me into a position where I'm blocking more ads than I was before. Very smart.

[–] Tygr@lemmy.world 80 points 2 years ago

I whitelist sites I support on UB. Unless that sites gets obtrusive then I block it entirely.

I stopped supporting Google the moment they forgot “don’t be evil.”

[–] applecore@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Don’t you have to click an ad to actually support a website like that? Did you ever click? I wouldn’t, but maybe they pay for impressions as well

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 15 points 2 years ago

No, ads are usually paid per thousand impressions.

[–] tony@lemmy.hoyle.me.uk 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

In theory an ad blocker could retrieve the ads in the background and simply not display them.. I'm not sure any actually do currently, but if advertisers are silly enough to pay simply through network traffic it's an option.

[–] gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 2 years ago (3 children)

There's a Firefox addon that clicks all of the ads in the background in an attempt to pollute the info pool on what you actually want and also to cost people the click on their ad campaign

[–] Ch0wW@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)

That's perfectly evil in a way! Mind if I ask you what is the extension's name?

[–] Mezzy@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

adnauseam.io

[–] Augustiner@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Can anyone please link it? Seems wild, but interesting…

[–] spiderman@ani.social 1 points 2 years ago

idm that until it clicks some scam ad

[–] Tuggles@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago (3 children)

What's the point of whitelisting sites you want to support? Unless you're committing to engaging with ads and purchasing services from ads, you're not helping them at all. The only way seeing an ad is beneficial is if you click on it, which tells the advertising company their ad is working and it's worth their while to pay to have an ad on whatever site you're browsing...

[–] fubo@lemmy.world 23 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The only way seeing an ad is beneficial is if you click on it

This is not really true anymore, though it once was. Most web ads are served on a "cost per impression" basis, not "cost per click". Even classic AdSense is moving to CPM rather than CPC, and Google AdX (which serves big brand ads) already was, as with the old DoubleClick.

[–] Tuggles@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

TIL, interesting, thank you for explaining!

[–] PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

What you’re describing is Cost Per Click. While still in use with some advertisers, most have shifted towards Cost Per Impression (CPM). CPM has a much lower cost per impression, (typically paid per thousand impressions) but it usually balances out because you’re not wholly reliant on clicks to generate revenue. If only 1/1000 people actually click the ad to begin with, then the cost will be the same.

The benefit to CPM is that you’re able to spread your advertising much farther, since you’re able to essentially purchase a thousand ad slots at a time, regardless of how many clicks they receive. And sites prefer it because it allows them to focus on site traffic, rather than focusing on driving users towards ads.

[–] LemmysMum@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Of course the only people it doesn't benefit is the end consumer because instead of trying to get you to click one ad they want you to see 1000.

[–] Tuggles@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

News to me. Good to know, thanks for explaining!

[–] kaitco@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago

The impressions of the ads helps, though. If the ad isn’t even shown, there’s not even the possibility of the impression or the engagement.

That said, there is only one site on all of the internet that I’ve decided to whitelist and that is only because I trust the site’s developers not to sell out and allow invasive ads.

[–] Somecall_metim@lemmy.dbzer0.com 69 points 2 years ago (1 children)

At risk of sounding like a broken record: "I am Jack's complete lack of surprise."

[–] Ottomateeverything@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm sure Google isn't surprised either. And if they get everyone moving to the same fewer and fewer ad blockers, they have fewer and fewer to work against.

[–] Weslee@lemmy.world 23 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Yeah but then more will just pop up, it's a losing battle trying to prevent the online community from doing something, just ask drm devs

[–] bev@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's just like an evolutionary arms race😋

[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

The only way to win at the game of life is to cheat harder than the previous winner.

[–] Stamets@startrek.website 39 points 2 years ago

Another extension of mine was fucking with youtube and preventing it from playing. Spent ages trying to figure out what was happening. The entire time I just kept saying "Fuck you" outloud. The only thing this adblock stuff is doing is giving me the drive to look further into it.

Honestly if they just said fuck it and added a banner ad I wouldn't have fought this hard against it. Even one or two image ads somewhere. But this? Fuck right off. I'm not sitting through 30 seconds of ads for a 20 second video. Something that is happening way too damn often lately.

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 24 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I’m just one dude sitting on the toilet and I could have predicted that.

[–] Wermhatswormhat@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Hey! I’m also sitting on a toilet! Crazy!

[–] phar@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

We know, we can see you

[–] tungah@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Can you see me seating on the toilet too?

[–] EFZL5NM0@lemmy.world 14 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I never even got that "stop blocking ads" pop-up that people have been talking about.

[–] Psythik@lemm.ee 6 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I never did but my girlfriend did. We both use Ublock Origin in Firefox in the same house. I absolutely cannot seem to bypass the message even after updating her filters and purging the caches, but on my PC it's like Google never implemented the policy. I don't understand it.

[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Make sure there is only one ad blocker. Using multiple ad blockers pretty much guarantees you get the pop up.

Enhancer for Youtube has an ad blocker that has to be disabled and some addons for hiding youtube shorts can even trigger the popup.

[–] Psythik@lemm.ee 5 points 2 years ago

It was the adblocker setting in Enhancer. Turned it off and problem solved, so thank you.

[–] Player2@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I had to manually turn on the 'annoyances' filter in ublock, has worked fine since then. One thing I have noticed is that sometimes the video is paused when I click on it and I have to manually start it, but that is a small price to pay.

[–] cubism_pitta@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I have stopthemadness setup in my safari browser to redirect all YouTube links to invidious…. I watch less YouTube that way

[–] meco03211@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago

Just got libretube and piped. Youtube has lost me.

[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Called it.

[–] LittleTarsier@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Can somebody help me figure out how to cast YouTube from Firefox onto my Nvidia Shield? I usually just use the YouTube app on the Shield but I get ads that way. I was hoping there was a way to cast from Firefox to prevent ads. Is this possible?

[–] rasselbock@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I use SmartTubeNext on my shield and it works well.

[–] LittleTarsier@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 years ago

I'm guessing you would have to "sideload" that app?

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Really long hdmi cable.

[–] lupec@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I haven't tested it myself so not sure how well it works, but Grayjay highlights it as a feature

[–] LittleTarsier@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 years ago

Thank you, I'll look into this!