While the company stops short of directly saying as much, it sure feels like the preposterously long ads we’re seeing here are an example of one tool in Google’s arsenal for effectively disabling YouTube playback for violators of the site’s ToS.

That makes no sense at all. It isn't like skipping ads results in a black screen for the length of the ad.

People with adblockers aren't going to see hour long ads or black screens when they don't see ads in the first place.

The YouTube owner explains that normal non-skippable in-stream ads are limited to just 15 seconds in length.

This is bullshit. I don't use an ad-blocker and often get a full minute of ad. And an extra minute if I happen to pause the stream for like 30 seconds and come back to it.

While their statement is entirely correct, they're still wrong. YouTube is basically unusable without an ad blocker. Multiple 10 to 15 second long unskippable ads before the video even starts, and unless you watch videos all the way through you end up watching as much ad as you do content. It is damn near impossible to hop around between videos trying to find the one you want because of the pre-roll ads on every vid. On the other hand, with an ad block enabled YouTube is actually quite nice. The engagement algorithm is fucking trash of course but if you know what you're looking for and you go directly to it it's pretty good.

While the company stops short of directly saying as much, it sure feels like the preposterously long ads we’re seeing here are an example of one tool in Google’s arsenal for effectively disabling YouTube playback for violators of the site’s ToS.

I don't get it. When my adblocker works, I don't get to see this shit. Only if it fails I'llbe confronted with hour-long ads, so the incentive to find a better blocker is even higher?

I either watch YouTube without ads or don't watch at all. We need a new platform for videos.

Haven't seen these but my solution would be just don't watch the video. These ads may be unskippable but they aren't un-watch-something-else-able.

One solution to that problem is to close YouTube on your device and do something else with your time.

Some Alternatives:

• Firefox + Ublock Origin
• Grayjay App
• Grayjay Desktop
• FreeTube
• NewPipe

Youtube is like that bully that asks for your lunch money and when you say no, they slam you into a locker.

When you say no again, they start hitting you until you finally give that lunch money.

Once you do, they will show you the others are being abused harder when they demand more money from you.

I would love to contribute to the end of youtube.

To me, the value of youtube and it's music is far below the €18 it costs to get me and my wife ad free. My internet costs roughly that and offers a lot of possibilites, so why should i pay double for a service that supplies about 1 millionth of what the internet itself has to offer, especially considering my wage has barely changed while i watch my rent and groceries triple in cost.

Y'all need to realize there is an end to my money, you can't keep taking.

They force paying customers ( yt music premium & yt premium ) to disable ad blockers, too. Why? If I accordingly to the contract shouldn't get any ads why they would need to punish for blocking ads which shouldn't exist :-)?

Well, you see, there's this thing called capitalism...

We’ve launched a global effort to urge viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad free experience.

By drastically increasing the rates every 6 months. Raising it past the prices of actual production streaming services. And paying the people making the content less and less money, until they have to put their own ads and their own content.

uBlock Origin works wonders. I haven't seen a YouTube ad since I installed it.

I haven't read the article, but surely this is an accident? I have almost no faith left in our capitalistic society, but surely even Youtube understands that nobody is going to watch an hour long ad, right?

just make it a subscription service already and see how many people remain...

Can someone donate a large sum to peertube please

There's a chance ad blockers are eating up the 'Skip' button while also failing to block the ad.

A CHANCE?

Youtube when I use Ublock Origin on my Thinkpad and ReVanced on my Pixel: