Network Security, Threat Management

Google circumvents AdBlock to show YouTube ads

Google Chrome neutralized the AdBlock Plus application, and similar extensions, forcing some users to view full-length video ads on YouTube.

Rob Wu, a Chromium project developer, said in an online forum that the behavior is the unintentional result of a security fix and will be resolved when Chrome 46 is released. Some users, though, posited that Google is attempting to impress content creators and online publishers, according to Neowin.

They vented their frustration on Twitter with some reporting that they weren't given the option to skip YouTube video ads if they had AdBlock enabled. Users reported they had to either disable the extension while browsing the Google-owned video sharing site, Whitelist YouTube, or uninstall the YouTube app in order to get the “skip” button back. AdBlock Plus previously allowed users to completely bypass the pre-roll videos.

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