Surge in Ad Blocker Uninstalls as YouTube Intensifies Enforcement

In early October, the creators of ad-blocking tools gathered in Amsterdam for their annual conference. During the event, Google's product leaders made a presentation about updates to address concerns regarding a security update in the Chrome browser, which could affect ad-blocking. Google, a company heavily reliant on ad revenue, even co-sponsored the conference in a waterfront venue.

Meanwhile, another team at Google was quietly preparing for a significant crackdown on ad blockers, arguably the most substantial since Facebook's attempt in 2016. Just as the conference attendees returned home, YouTube expanded a small test initiated in May. This test involved using pop-up dialogs to prompt viewers to disable their ad blockers or risk losing access to the world's most popular video-sharing platform.

These previously undisclosed figures from ad-blocking companies suggest that YouTube's crackdown has been effective, with hundreds of thousands of users uninstalling ad blockers in October. The data indicates that October saw a record number of ad-blocker uninstalls, as well as a surge in new ad-blocker installations as people sought alternatives to avoid YouTube's pop-up notifications.

YouTube's spokesperson, Christopher Lawton, stated that ad blockers violate the platform's terms of service, and the company provides YouTube Premium as an ad-free alternative for $13.99 per month. He emphasized that ads support a diverse ecosystem of content creators and allow billions to access their favorite content on YouTube. Users receive repeated warnings about YouTube's ad-blocker policy before their access is restricted, although the total number of affected users was not disclosed.

Ghostery, a developer of ad-block and privacy tools based in Munich, experienced three to five times the typical daily numbers of both uninstalls and installs in October, leaving usage relatively unchanged. Over 90% of users who responded to a survey about their reasons for uninstalling cited issues with the tool's performance on YouTube. Many users even experimented with Microsoft's Edge browser, which saw a 30% increase in Ghostery installations compared to September. Microsoft declined to comment.

AdGuard, with approximately 75 million users of its ad-blocking tools, including 4.5 million paying customers, typically experiences around 6,000 Chrome extension uninstalls per day. However, from October 9 to the end of the month, daily uninstalls exceeded 11,000, peaking at about 52,000 on October 18, according to CTO Andrey Meshkov. AdGuard also reported a significant increase in installations in response to YouTube's measures, reaching around 60,000 installations on Chrome on October 18 and 27. Subscriptions grew as users realized that AdGuard's paid tools remained unaffected by YouTube's crackdown.

AdLock, another ad-blocker extension, recorded about 30% more daily installations and uninstalls in October compared to previous months, according to its product head.

To protect user privacy, many ad-blocker providers do not directly track usage, but Chrome's extension store provides basic installation and uninstallation statistics. Some ad blockers offer the option to deactivate them for specific websites, and users can also disable them without uninstalling. Cologne-based Eyeo, which operates Adblock Plus, AdBlock, and uBlock, even allows AdBlock users to permit ads for specific YouTube videos or creators. However, the extent to which YouTube users have opted for these options remains unclear due to limited tracking.

Terry Taouss, a veteran ad tech executive, likens users adopting ad blockers to shoppers choosing express lanes in supermarkets. They may generate less revenue for businesses, but they are still customers taking control of their online experience. He believes websites like YouTube should respect this.

Ad-blocking executives suggest that user reports indicate YouTube's crackdown has coincided with tests to increase the number of ads shown. In the first nine months of the year, YouTube sold over $22 billion in ads, accounting for about 10% of Google's overall sales. Creators on YouTube typically receive 55% of ad sales on longer videos and 45% on Shorts. Premium subscriptions are expected to generate about $2.7 billion in sales this year.

Surveys and estimates over the years have suggested that roughly one to three out of every five internet users use ad blockers. Most users are not entirely against ads, but they are frustrated with intrusive, numerous, or unskippable ads longer than six seconds. The issue arises when they feel the line has been crossed.

YouTube's test primarily affects users on Chrome browsers for laptops and desktops but does not affect those using YouTube's mobile or TV apps, mobile site, or embedded videos on other websites. The warnings appear regardless of whether users are logged in or using Incognito mode.

The warnings seem to be triggered when YouTube detects certain open-source filtering rules that many ad blockers use to identify ads, rather than targeting specific extensions. Ad-blocking developers are working to evade YouTube's measures, but progress has been slow, as YouTube's dragnet doesn't capture every user.

Google has had a complex relationship with the ad-blocking industry. While the Google Play mobile app store has banned ad blockers for about a decade, the Chrome browser has allowed them a certain degree of latitude, given its mission to support an open internet while ensuring user security and privacy. Annoyance with YouTube has long been a major driver of ad-blocker downloads.

Following YouTube's demands to disable ad blockers, users turned to various alternatives. Some recommended services like Newpipe.net, an open-source YouTube alternative that runs videos without ads using workarounds. Newpipe claims not to collect usage data.

Certain ad blockers are adapting to YouTube's measures. Hankuper, the Slovakian company behind AdLock, released a new Windows version it believes goes unnoticed by YouTube. If users find this to be true, they will expand the fix to versions for macOS, Android, and iOS.

Ad-blocking providers are concerned about the potential consequences of Google's escalating war on ad blockers. Users disabling ad blockers may lose anti-tracking features, making them vulnerable to online threats. The increasingly complex blocking tactics introduced by companies like Ghostery could also create unintended security vulnerabilities.

Truce seems unlikely in the near future, as ad blockers, publishers, and advertisers attempt to find middle ground on less intrusive ad formats. Different interpretations of user preferences and conflicting business interests have resulted in a patchwork of ad experiences. Eyeo supports the Acceptable Ads Committee, while Google is part of the Coalition for Better Ads and operates YouTube to its standards.

AdGuard's Meshkov believes hostilities will continue, and he sees YouTube making its ads more annoying with each update. Each time YouTube changes its approach, the ad-blocker industry adapts, making campaigns like Google's costly. Developers suggest that Facebook gave up in 2016 because keeping pace with the blockers consumed too many resources. Meta did not respond to requests for comment.

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While YouTube's tactic of detecting ad blockers and shifting the onus to users eases the platform's engineering burden, it remains significant. Ad-blocking experts anticipate that the battle will continue, and users may experience YouTube with ads some of the time, which could be an unsatisfactory experience. In the worst case, at the next industry conference, it may be the ad-blockers conceding to Google.