So I've been using youtube ad blockers since pretty much when ad blocker extensions were first available. Lately though I've been getting hit more and more with these messages that YT was sending out every 5 or so videos telling me that adblockers aren't allowed. No problem, just gotta wait 5 seconds to x it out and then close my video. The straw that broke the camel's back though was when instead of a close-able pop-up, they just posted it in front of a video and wouldn't let me watch anything until I disabled my adblocker.
So I disabled it and… wow. It's just so, so, trash. 2 ads before a video plus midrolls and every video ever. I tried listening to a playlist of songs and was getting a midroll ad every single time. Imagine trying to just listen to music for 3 minutes and getting interrupted by a commercial for a chevy silverado! Half the ads were for youtube premium and they specifically mentioned that it would get rid of all the ads. It just felt so damn predatory. I couldn't enjoy anything that wasn't already demonetized.
And you know I'm fine with ads I guess. I could live with an ad before every video, but the fact that I was getting upwards of 5 ads in a 10 minute video was just plain absurd. I also hate that youtube got rid of the yellow markers to show you when an ad was coming up, so now it's just out of nowhere and always interrupts a key part of the video.
E: I've been on Firefox for over a year.
Don't give up your privacy by disabling adblocker. I enabled AdBlock on anything I own. If YT will be persistent about it, I'll just leave. There are plenty alternatives to YouTube frontend.
Edit: spelling mistakes.
It's only even an issue for people because they're using shitty browsers like Chrome, lol. YouTube doesn't even warn me and I never see ads. Firefox for life.
Because they've been slowly rolling this out. It first happened over summer to a few users and steadily to more and more. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens to you before the end of the year.
Fingers crossed it doesn't, but in the meantime, let's figure this out so we all can avoid the BS. I'll check all my addons when I get home to see if there's anything else that would be helping me. On Mobile I do have AdGuard (the one not available on the play store), but I believe I would be ad free without it just from Revanced.