YouTube has intensified its fight against ad blockers, successfully shutting down YouTube Vanced in 2022 and pushing free-tier users toward Premium subscriptions. Community efforts like ReVanced, which mods the YouTube app to block ads and uses SponsorBlock to skip sponsor segments, have emerged in response. SponsorBlock relies on user-reported sponsor segments to allow others to skip them.
However, YouTube is now experimenting with server-side ad injection, which could disrupt tools like SponsorBlock. This change might break timestamped video links and chapter markers, but YouTube could adjust timestamps to accommodate the ads. Server-side ad injection would require the YouTube client to skip ads for Premium users, potentially allowing ad blockers to exploit this information.
This added complexity in ad delivery could slow content delivery and degrade user experience. Some users suggest using a VPN to access YouTube from countries where ads are banned, like Myanmar or Albania. Others tip creators directly to compensate for ad revenue lost due to ad blockers.
Ultimately, YouTube needs to balance its measures against ad blockers with user convenience. While YouTube aims to deter non-paying users, excessive countermeasures could alienate legitimate viewers. For those already tolerating ads or paying for Premium, the changes may not matter, but the situation is becoming increasingly difficult for ad-blocking users.
