YouTube is broken? No, it’s probably your ad blocker causing the issue
In recent days, numerous users have reported that YouTube is not loading properly, or isn’t displaying at all, giving the impression of a global outage. However, contrary to what the surge of reports on DownDetector suggested, the issue does not stem from YouTube’s servers…
The culprit? Ad blockers, whether they are popular like Adblock Plus or more advanced like uBlock Origin.
An Unprecedented Response from YouTube
Until now, YouTube would simply slow down video loading or display warning messages asking users to disable their ad blockers.
But this time, the platform has clearly crossed a line:
- The pages remain blank or frozen,
- Videos refuse to start or remain stuck on loading,
- Even the most reputable blockers are unable to bypass the restrictions.
Users on Reddit confirm that disabling their ad blocker or using a browser without extensions immediately restores the site’s normal functionality.
How Does YouTube Detect Your Ad Blocker?
YouTube has never detailed its detection methods, but several hypotheses emerge.
1 — Missing Ad Requests
YouTube knows exactly which requests should be sent during page loading (e.g., Google Ads scripts). If these requests are blocked before they are launched, the platform immediately notices — it’s the perfect signal that an ad blocker is active.
2 — Invisible “Traps”
YouTube likely inserts fake ad elements (such as div.ad-container or dummy tags). If the blocker removes them instantly, YouTube detects it and responds by blocking playback.
In short: your browser doesn’t need to “disclose” its extensions; YouTube simply needs to see what it does not load.
Not All Browsers Are Equal
The block appears to primarily affect Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera GX…). Even built-in blockers in some of these browsers, like Opera GX, are reportedly ineffective against this new measure.
Possible solution: use a browser based on a different engine, like Firefox, which seems to be spared for the time being.
Is YouTube Pushing Users Towards Premium?
It’s hard to avoid seeing an implicit message here. The goal is clear: to encourage subscriptions to YouTube Premium, which costs €12.99/month. This plan removes ads, allows background playback, and lets users listen to YouTube Music without interruptions.
YouTube appears determined to eliminate ad blockers for good, even if it temporarily makes the service unusable for some. This offensive is part of an ongoing war since 2023, but never before has the blocking been so absolute.
While we await a potential response from extension developers, users currently have three options:
- Disable their ad blocker,
- Change their browser,
- Subscribe to YouTube Premium.
YouTube has launched a remarkably aggressive countermeasure against ad blockers, rendering the platform non-functional for many with these extensions enabled.
If the situation remains unchanged, this could mark a decisive turning point in the battle between YouTube and ad blockers.
