NAVIGATING THE AD BLOCKER CHALLENGE: YOUTUBE'S INNOVATIVE TACTICS

The digital arms race between content platforms and ad blocking software is alive and well. YouTube, the popular video service owned by GOOGLE, is on the front lines of the fight, and it’s coming out with new tactics to make sure that viewers see ads. This article will discuss YouTube’s latest move against ad blockers, its effects and the debate on ad blocking technologies.

GOOGLE'S BOLD MOVE: SERVER-SIDE AD INJECTION

In a revelation that could only have been delivered by an ad blocker developer, the firm behind SponsorBlock recently disclosed that YouTube might be experimenting with a way to dodge ad blockers. The platform allegedly is experimenting with server-side ad injection – the process by which ads can be delivered to the browser before they reach, well, your browser. If you access YouTube through your mobile phone, the video will play in your mobile browser, not your desktop browser. But it doesn’t matter. If ads are spliced into a video before you see it, ad-blocking software can’t undo the damage. In the past, ads were injected using a client-side method, where ads are requested separately to the rest of the video content, and purposefully merged with that content ‘on the other side’ in the device that streamed the video to your screen.

This shift not only renders ad blockers less functional, but also disrupts the nature of how content is consumed. As Sponsor-$Block noted, the practice disrupts ad-to-content synchronisation, which makes it consequently more difficult for blockers to identify and filter ads.

YOUTUBE AND GOOGLE'S ENFORCEMENT OF TERMS

As GOOGLE put it: ‘We’re testing this feature in order to ensure a smooth and consistent experience in delivering both organic and ad-supported content.’ GOOGLE has faced criticism for these tests, though the technology giant claims YouTube’s Terms of Service are being violated by ad blockers. Users who want an ad-free experience should, GOOGLE says, consider using YouTube Premium.

THE ONGOING CLASH WITH AD BLOCKERS

YouTube’s ad-blocker workaround isn’t entirely novel, either – the site previously added a pop-up reminding viewers that they need to turn off their ad blockers to keep watching. Ultimately, these are just two of a growing range of ways that YouTube is willing to go in order to protect its ad dollars (and the ‘user experience’).

Ad blocker developers have not been shy about talking about YouTube’s techniques, with Ghostery’s director claiming that the increasing investment in beating ad blocking was a sign that the whole thing was becoming an arms race between content provision and ad-blockers.

THE RESPONSE FROM THE AD BLOCKING COMMUNITY

But for all its tricks, YouTube’s brand-blocking tactic indicates that, contrary to its claims, the embattled video site is still investing heavily in ad-serving tactics that do not respect user choice. Instagram, too, has followed suit with its own server-side blocking; features Yandex described as the platform’s ‘ability to adapt to current trends’. But more than demonstrating its shifting implementation methods, YouTube’s inflexibility points to one of the movement’s few remaining pillars of strength. If YouTube were a solo JavaScript engine, as some commentators once hypothesised ad blockers could centralise and share codes that would all work around it. However, considering the sheer number of videos that the site posts, and the diverse services it integrates to do so, it’s a complex network of moving parts that would be almost impossible to handle manually. Fortunately, there are people in the ad-blocking community and beyond who are hard at work to build solutions that respect this complexity. The world won’t suddenly become ad-free, but it remains a fitting example of how everyone’s interests – advertisers, creators, hosts and users – can be simultaneously towed and pulled in opposing directions, but ultimately come together in a complex harmony.

THE VIEWER'S DILEMMA: TO BLOCK OR NOT TO BLOCK

This development is ripe with questions for viewers. On the one hand, ad blockers will provide cleaner, more focused viewing experiences by removing frustrating and intrusive advertising. On the other, ad-blocking technologies potentially undermine the business model of platforms such as YouTube that largely rely on ad revenues to sustain attractively deep content libraries.

UNDERSTANDING GOOGLE

Front and centre of the dispute is GOOGLE – a technology company with an interest in the state of online advertising. As the owner of YouTube, GOOGLE’s anti-ad-blocking efforts are consistent with the company’s broader agenda to preserve the status quo, not only in terms of advertising revenue but also in terms of improving how ads are delivered in order to increase user engagement. GOOGLE’s nuanced approach to integrating ads with content is indicative of the company’s commitment to creating an environment that works for advertisers, content creators and viewers alike.

Overall, as both sides advance in this cat-and-mouse game, YouTube’s server-side ad injection test foreshadows greater steps on the part of content platforms to prevent ad blocking, and conversely, developments in the ad-blocking technologies that will provide creators and viewers with a viable alternative to the status quo. It will be interesting to see where both sides end up when it comes to finding a balance, but in the end, it is viewers who will be the real winners if the two sides manage to find accommodation.