A new report claims that YouTube has found a new way to combat ad blockers again: by integrating actual advertisements from its clients and partners into its videos.
This is through the new process known as server-side ad injections, which Google's YouTube will soon apply to its video streams as part of its massive campaign against ad blockers.
It is known that YouTube's current ads are delivered to the platform separately, and reportedly, it has been the target of ad blocker tools to skip for users.
YouTube to Integrate Ads Into Video Streams Directly
A company called SponsorBlock, a renowned extension to skip ads and sponsored segments has revealed via their recent X post that YouTube will soon introduce a new way to integrate ads into its videos. This applies to the free accounts that stream on the platform, as the platform would now deliver its ads directly into its videos, integrated for users.
Currently, it was reported that YouTube's ads are streamed using another service that delivers them to the streaming platform's mobile or web client.
YouTube's new focus is currently under testing, and users remain unaware of the scope of its current feature. However, according to 9to5Google, some are already facing this new tech.
Server-Side Ad Injection: How Does It Work?
According to SponsorBlock, this new method is called 'server-side ad injection,' and it effectively disrupts its services to skip ads on YouTube's Basic accounts. YouTube has recently taken this measure to target ad blocker platforms and tools for users, as previously, it targeted browser extension ad blockers and then third-party tools.
YouTube and Its War Against Ad Blockers
For many months now, YouTube has been strongly against ad blockers, particularly for free accounts that use these tools to bypass its systems. In early 2023, YouTube made it clear that ad blockers are not allowed to be used with users' free accounts, and it claimed that breaching this policy would result in blocking one's video playback.
It has been around a year now since YouTube emphasized its war against ad blockers, and the company has used various tricks and methods to let users know that these tools are not allowed. The streaming platform went as far as to reiterate that this is a breach of its Terms of Service, promoting its YouTube Premium subscription along the way to enjoy ad-free streaming.
The more YouTube has pressed into removing ad blockers and its developments against these tools, the more users and developers have become clever in bypassing videos, which the platform actively cracks down on. A new method is coming, said SponsorBlock, with YouTube resorting to server-side ad injection that would integrate ads directly into videos, giving ad blockers a hard time.
