from Hacker News

YouTube's Adblock detection might break the law in the EU

by mahmoudhossam on 11/9/23, 7:54 PM with 115 comments

  • by Scion9066 on 11/9/23, 8:28 PM

    From the linked EU memo in the YouTube description: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/MEMO_1...

    Can users still use ad blockers?

    The proposal does not regulate the use of ad blockers. Users have the freedom to install software on their devices that disables the display of advertisement. At the same time, the Commission is aware that 'free' content on the internet is often funded by advertisement revenue. Therefore, the proposal allows website providers to check if the end-user's device is able to receive their content, including advertisement, without obtaining the end-user's consent. If a website provider notes that not all content can be received by the end-user, it is up to the website provider to respond appropriately, for example by asking end-users if they use an ad-blocker and would be willing to switch it off for the respective website.

  • by drexlspivey on 11/9/23, 8:27 PM

    I don't think this argument has any legs. You request a page from a web server, the server gives you back some html and some javascript, you execute the javascript which detects if you are using an adblocker.

    There is no tracking involved, if you believe the js you got back is spyware you can refrain from running it and you can't watch the vid. Should every website ask for your consent to serve you javascript now?

  • by nash on 11/9/23, 8:21 PM

    The irony of this being a youtube video is not lost on me.

  • by tokai on 11/9/23, 8:59 PM

    Are people actually getting blocked? I saw the adblock-block popup once, and after flushing the cache and updating filters of my adblocker I haven't had any issues using yt since. Am I just in a lucky A/B group or is the detection and blockage actually that toothless?

  • by Scion9066 on 11/9/23, 8:26 PM

    Previous discussion of this topic:

    Privacy advocate challenges YouTube's ad blocking detection scripts under EU law

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38050838

  • by WheatMillington on 11/9/23, 9:15 PM

    Why should companies be required to offer content to people for free?

  • by gotoeleven on 11/9/23, 9:02 PM

    I would happily pay for youtube without ads if I was confident that they wouldn't start putting ads in it anyways like always seems to happen with these services.

  • by adv0r on 11/9/23, 9:00 PM

    if you navigate to elpais.com, they embed youtube videos, and you are required to accept youtube conditions before reproducing the video

    https://imgur.com/a/m1NAWeC

  • by beanjuiceII on 11/9/23, 9:32 PM

    if EU can stop this adblock i forgive them for GDRP or whatever its called

  • by dale_glass on 11/9/23, 8:25 PM

    How does Youtube detect adblock anyway? Is that documented anywhere?

  • by nikanj on 11/9/23, 8:25 PM

    Might*

    *Actually doesn't

  • by ren_engineer on 11/9/23, 9:12 PM

    is Google really that desperate for revenue that they need to do this shit? Comes off as desperate