While YouTube tries to ban ad blockers on the one hand, Google sponsors the Ad-Filtering Dev Summit in Amsterdam. In addition to Google, AdGuard and Eyeo also sponsor the conference.
Last week it was revealed that YouTube introduced its new anti-adblock function would roll out worldwide. Once the message appears that YouTube has found an ad blocker, you can watch three more videos. Afterwards, users are disconnected from the video platform. YouTube wants to prevent it from losing revenue due to users with ad blockers. The platform does not earn a single cent from those viewers.
The new adblock function already seems to be a success: an unprecedented number of users suddenly decided to turn off their adblocker to delete. This way they can simply watch videos again, either with advertisements. Exactly what YouTube wants. It is striking that Google – owner of the platform – sometimes has a completely different agenda. Last month the company spoke at the Ad-Filtering Dev Summit 2023a conference on ad blockers.
Protecting privacy
Google was even one of the sponsors of the event, besides AdGuard and Eyeo. During the conference, the Google Chrome team also talked about the future of ad blockers. Chary Chen, Lead Developer of the Chrome Web Store, announced the introduction of a new category for ad blockers. New Privacy and Security categories make it easier for users to find the apps they want.
Google employees present at the conference consistently emphasized the importance of the apps. According to them, ad blockers protect the privacy of users. Later this year, Google plans to form a council to gather feedback from ad blocker developers. With this, Google wants to improve the experience of developers and users.
Conflicting interests
Developers of ad blockers should be able to update their apps as often as necessary to ensure functionality, Google concluded. Yet another statement that goes against the need for ads for YouTube.
For the YouTube team it is already a slap in the face. However, it has relatively few consequences for them: they simply continue to ban users from the site with an ad blocker, provided the app can be discovered.
Adblockers see this strategy as a cat-and-mouse game. They always try to adjust their app so that it is not discovered by the video service.
