The controversial YouTube ad-blocker is still currently being tested at Google. A few months back, users started facing issues when viewing YouTube while using an ad-blocker. The platform would detect ads being blocked on videos and ask the viewer to disable their ad-blocker plugin in order to resume watching their content.
Originally Google claimed that the ad-blocker was just a simple test phase and that the company would make an announcement should it go public. By the look of things, Google is still testing the project and now the company has released a new version of this YouTube ad-blocker which includes a countdown timer.
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According to Search Engine Land, this new version also blocks your YouTube videos from being played while you have an ad-blocker enabled. However, at the same time, the pop-up isn’t permanent this time around. Instead, there’s a timer that counts down. After the timer ends, the video resumes.
In the previous test, there was no way around the block. A prompt asked you to allow Youtube ads or subscribe to YouTube Premium. If you didn’t, you could not watch your video. The countdown timer now lets you stare at the block and contemplate your life for a few seconds while Google blocks the content.
YouTube has stated that the company takes disabling video playback very seriously and will only disable videos if viewers ignore the repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube.
By the sound of things, you’ll be able to watch videos on YouTube with an ad-blocker but at some point, the platform will lock you out. You’ll then have to sit through a countdown before you can resume the video. At the moment reports claim this countdown lasts for around 30 – 60 seconds depending on how unlucky you are.
Sounds like a real pain especially if you’re getting the block over and over again. Google wants you to pay and it will do everything in its power to get that message across. It will be interesting to see how ad-blockers approach this issue going forward. Hopefully, developers will carry on fighting the code and find new ways around these blocks.
Source: Search Engine Land