• Zerush@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    Maybe I’ve found a definitive solution, because adblocking only works for a few days, until Google noticed it and put contrameasures. In Firefox install Tampermonkey and in it this script

    https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/477725-youtube-iframe-adblocker

    In Vivaldi no need of Tampermonkey, download the link to an folder and don’t delete it. Open the Extension page in developer mode and drag the script in it. Done

    It is an ingenious userscript that helps persistent YouTube viewers bypass the frustrating “Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube” message. It employs a clever technique of dynamically inserting an iframe player to replace the standard YouTube player. This method effectively circumvents YouTube’s ad-blocker detection, allowing for an uninterrupted, ad-free viewing experience even after YouTube’s standard measures have been triggered. So you can still use your adblocker without problems.

    • Sparking@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      I would just caution anyone that blocking ads while logged into your Google account is probably a bad idea if you care about still watching videos there. Google will grow more desperate to show tracked ads to users.

      The only ling term solution is to seek to watch YouTube e videos in a private way. Freestone is a good start. New piped and individuals look promising as well. I’m still researching a good long term solution.

      • Zerush@lemmy.ml
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        11 months ago

        Front-ends and streaming platforms are several outsite, but Google also is blocking those, its not a solution for a long term. I was recently using FreeTube as a desktop client, but it has become unusable. I recently replaced VLC with SMPlayer, MMplayer like VLC but way better, also FOSS, this allows me to watch, among others, streaming videos from different sites, among others also from YT so far without problems. I also use an extension (FOSS) that allows me to record the audio of the active tab and save it as mp3, that is, with this it does not matter whether it is a music video from YT or from other sources and with this outside of Google’s control.

        A good option is also IMDB, or better its online service, Odysee, which allows you to import subscriptions and playlists from YT, it is somewhat complicated to do, but it is guided. Odysee is not related to Google, it has a UI similar to YT and a good number of videos of all kinds, many have already moved to this platform. In my opinion it is the best direct alternative to YT.

        In any case, at least so far, this userscript works wonderfully and I think it will continue to work, since it prevents YT from discovering that you use an adblocker, not like other anti adblock killers whose script I also have in the Vivaldi blocker list, since these do block the YT detector, which naturally has already been discovered, however this script does not block the YT detector, but surrounds it by putting a “mask” over the video, with which the detector passes underneath without discovering anything.

        The risk that YT discovers it and blocks me? Yes it does anyway if I continue using an adblocker and I prefer to suck my elbow before deactivating the ad- and all the other blockers on YT and swallowing all the garbage of ads, clickbaits and the other shit that YT is full of (a single music video, blocked 12 ads and more than 20 trackers and without the Clickbait Remover, YT completely changes the thumbnails it shows, which mostly have nothing to do with the content). No, thanks

        • Sparking@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          Yeah, I definitely agree, and haven’t looked into all the options yet. It is pretty logical that they would catch on to stuff like free-tube very quickly. But I still think the only reasonable posture is to view video content anonymously, until google goes the twitter route and demands that you identify yourself to watch a video. They kind of already do that for mature content.

          • Zerush@lemmy.ml
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            11 months ago

            I know, there still videos blocked for NSFW content, where you need to identify you, eg the music video from Harakiri for the Sky - Funeral Dream is flagged as such, but you can still warch it from an other upload, Also not a problem to watch it in Andisearch or SMPlayer. But this filter has nothing to do with the current adblocker problem, age restricted vids in YT are exist since several years.

      • gila@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        Google’s desperation to show tracked ads is but one vector in the equation which determines longterm viability for watching Youtube ad-free for free. There are also other vectors to consider like the level of obtrusion required to actually effectively adblock-block, and its related effect on the userbase. And also just the level of inconvenience presented by ads, determined by their length, skippability etc.

        The proportion of the userbase blocking ads is still relatively negligible, and this is an outcome manufactured by Google toeing the line between too obtrusive and too ineffective. Any measure I can imagine which would actually capture a significant portion of users blocking ads would also significantly skew the balance in favour of obtrusivity, which they would pay for in lost users.

        As long as many users are happy to continue being vigilant in blocking ads, IMO this balance will ensure blocking ads will remain feasible.

        • Sparking@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          Long term, google will demand our identity to serve video data to us, even if only out of principle. I just think that service will degrade in the pursuit of more price extraction.

          I have a longer term project to decouple my identity and property from online services. Part of the reaso thnat I am also on lemmy in the first place. With google products, it is becoming clear that anonymous use is really the only answer.

          • gila@lemm.ee
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            11 months ago

            In general I would agree, but as it pertains to Youtube adblock blocking - there is no gradual slide into degradation (apart from perhaps to do with the implementation of ads itself, though I’d argue they’re less obtrusive now than in their original implementation many years ago).

            There is fundamentally no way to adblock-block today which does not involve collecting info in a way that causes obvious privacy concerns. It’s not somewhere Google can get to by taking little steps. The adblock-blocking that’s been happening to date is easily circumvented. Logically an arms race between adblockers and adblock-blockers will ensue, except in practice it’d be like raising the stakes from a civil war re-enactment to actual nuclear war

            • Sparking@lemm.ee
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              11 months ago

              Right. That is why I am saying: beocme anonymous now before google demands your identity to watch videos. That is where I believe this is headed.

  • HerbalGamer@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    I’ve started using Piped but oh my god the fucking buffering is ridiculous

    • polle@feddit.de
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      11 months ago

      I did the recommended stuff (resetting ublock, updating the filters and Restart). The ad popup about disabling adblock still opens up.

    • axb@lemmy.ml
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      11 months ago

      Yes. I updated my uBlock Origin and it seems to skip through YouTube video ads for now. But I’m sure YouTube’s team is hard at work trying to overcome the new workaround. This is essentially going to be a tech arms race, lol.

      • VantaBrandon@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        The good news is it probably costs Google 1000x in resources to come up with a solution than uBlock to get around it. Its a war they cannot truly win.

  • Ziro@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Why am I not having any issues blocking ads in YouTube? I use uBlock Origin and Firefox.

      • Dumbkid@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        11 months ago

        That’s true, I haven’t been affected yet and I just assumed my ublock was doing a good enough job. But I guess it’ll be my turn soon

    • pahlimur@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Me too. I’m also on Google Fi still for reasons, I know there are better options. The moment they start blocking Ublock I will be cancelling my phone plan.

      • SendMePhotos@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Why wouldn’t they offer free services for you like YouTube premium (whatever it’s called) since you already buy in to their service?

        • pahlimur@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          That’s sort of my feeling as well. Putting my tin foil hat on. I think it’s why I’m in the group that isn’t being fucked with yet.

  • NaoPb@eviltoast.org
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    11 months ago

    I’ve exported my subscriptions and imported them in FreeTube. Seems to work even better since it doesn’t try to hide videos in my subscription list.

  • Stoneykins [any]@mander.xyz
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    11 months ago

    People keep saying this but I guess I’m on the lucky slow end of the rollout because I haven’t had my adblock stop working yet.

    But they’ve done this before, it’s just a cycle. If I have to, I’ll start using a new adblocker, or entirely diffent way to access the videos, once an option becomes available shortly, inevitably. No reason to worry about this long term IMO.

      • jabathekek@sopuli.xyz
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        11 months ago

        Very much so. Should also be deleting cookies after every session, and probably never logging in.

    • CuriousGoo@beehaw.org
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      11 months ago

      Are you able to view YouTube at all with NoScript enabled ? When I tried it out last the page itself doesn’t load because everything is JS based.

      • jabathekek@sopuli.xyz
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        11 months ago

        Yes, just allow ytimg and youtube and it works. Though I also have Enhancer for Youtube and Unhook installed, but I doubt those have any impact.

  • Zerush@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    A proxied front end which works 10/10 , FOSS online and selfhostable, online with encryted server (SHA-384), very fast and lighweight, even more in Light Mode for PC with few resources. The best front end i’ve seen, nice UI without ads or other crap.

    https://poketube.fun/app

    • shrugal@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      What the hell is an encrypted server? What’s special about SHA-384, where do they use it to improve privacy? Please don’t bullshit people with random IT terms.

      Glancing at the code, this is just another YT proxy. Ofc they have your user info, they just choose to only store aggregated data.

      • Zerush@lemmy.ml
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        11 months ago

        Do you have anything better to contribute to solve the YT problem than what I have contributed in this thread?

        Our servers are secured with SHA-384 Signature Algorithm; meaning we cant see the videos you watching, things you search, or things you do We migth use third party services on PokeTube, but third party request on PokeTube is proxied by default. no third party can see wat the hell ru doing on PokeTube. We do this by proxying the requests via a whole diffrent server, so no third party can see you.

        Source code https://codeberg.org/ashley/poketube/

        https://poketube.fun/privacy

        • shrugal@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          Do you have anything better to contribute to solve the YT problem than what I have contributed in this thread?

          Apparently pointing out false or at least misleading claims, instead of making them.

          Our servers are secured with SHA-384 Signature Algorithm

          This is a meaningless sentence.

          meaning we cant see the videos you watching, things you search

          This is just not true. Go to a video on their site, the browser requests the video id as cleartext from their server. Search for something, your browser sends the search term as cleartext as well. There is nothing encrypted beyond the standard, it’s all visible to them.

          This is how all YT proxy sites do it, but they don’t claim to use some sort of special encryption. It’s widely accepted that you have to put some amount of trust into whoever is hosting the instance you are using, because they can see the things you watch and search for.

    • miss_brainfart@lemmy.ml
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      11 months ago

      Is this something that surfaced only recently? Can’t believe I haven’t come across it already, if it’s as good as you make it seem

  • synestia@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    After updating my uBlock lists to the latest version the popup no longer appears. Something to try out.

  • uralsolo [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    11 months ago

    I last updated my uBlock yesterday and I haven’t seen a popup since, I might be lucky or maybe Google has backed off for now.