In recent weeks, YouTube has intensified its efforts to curb the use of ad blockers, but this time indirectly and without official announcement. A growing number of users have noticed a significant decrease in video playback speed when ad blockers are enabled, raising questions about whether the platform is resorting to deliberate slowdowns as a new pressure tactic.
Users on Reddit and specialized tech forums have shared similar experiences, with over 200 participants in one discussion confirming they are experiencing delays when using ad blockers. One post explained that playing any video is accompanied by an unusual waiting period, followed by a message on the screen saying, "Experiencing interruptions? Find out why."
According to user testimonies, clicking on the "Find out why" option leads to an official Google support page that attributes the playback problems to browser extensions, primarily ad blockers. This connection has reinforced suspicions of a direct link between enabling these extensions and the platform's slowdown.
While some initially believed this behavior was limited to registered accounts known to use ad blockers, other reports indicated that unregistered users were also experiencing the same issue, suggesting the measure might be more widespread than anticipated.
This isn't the first time YouTube has resorted to exploiting performance issues to counter ad blockers. In 2023, the platform admitted to releasing updates that slowed down browsers running ad-blocking extensions, before rolling them out to most popular browsers. Around the same time, it also began displaying pop-up messages preventing video playback unless ad blockers were disabled or a YouTube Premium subscription was subscribed to.
Google justified these actions at the time by stating that advertising is the primary source of revenue for content creators and helps keep YouTube a free platform for users. Therefore, the company encouraged users of ad blockers to allow ads or opt for a paid subscription for an ad-free experience.
So far, YouTube has not issued any official clarifications confirming or denying whether the recent slowdowns represent a new phase of this strategy, leaving the field open to speculation and increasing the debate about the limits of what can be considered “user experience management” or “undeclared technical pressure.”
