What you need to know
- Opera GX users face YouTube accessibility issues linked to its built-in ad blocker.
- Previous ad blocker conflicts have led YouTube to throttle videos for affected users.
- Ongoing concerns about YouTube TV and Disney content continue to frustrate users.
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YouTube's ongoing battle with ad blockers has escalated as users of Opera GX report severe access issues, casting a shadow over its streaming services.
There's a growing thread on the YouTube subreddit where users are discussing the recent problems accessing the platform (via 9to5Google). The ongoing issues are seemingly incredibly specific, as users with the Opera GX browser are reporting problems en masse. The OP (original poster) reported that they were listening to music on YouTube in the background, but suddenly, everything stopped working.
The site went dark, and the thumbnails for the videos vanished.
While users thought this indicated that YouTube was down, or at least suffering from server problems, more reports claim that ad blockers might be the problem. One user states that accessing YouTube through Opera GX suffers the same problem, while others say going in with a different browser doesn't cause an issue. Another report says, "Mine was also broken, seems to be Adblock related, as the site loads fine without it, and completely breaks with it. At least on my end."
Strangely, one user says they've been unable to access YouTube through Opera GX with ad block enabled; however, going in with Google Chrome (with ad block) is perfectly fine. User SH4DE_RL claims that it's the built-in ad blocker in Opera GX that's causing the problem and that disabling it "fixes the problem."
The problems pile up
Was listening to music in the background and youtube suddenly stopped working, anyone know a fix for this? from r/youtube
These issues were cropping up for users earlier this morning (Nov 7). If they're persisting for you, and you're using the Opera GX browser, try the solutions some users have suggested on Reddit. Perhaps that'll fix things, but it's not like users with AdBlock on YouTube haven't had their fair share of issues.
There was a problem earlier this summer with users and ad blockers, where reports claimed YouTube was "slowing down" their videos. The platform called an audible, opting to reportedly throttle or slow down videos for those using ad blockers.
Reports said the platform would delay videos and also try to send folks to a Google support page, as if it were a different issue. Of course, the support page suggested removing any extensions (like AdBlock).
YouTube's been in this war against ad blockers for a few years now, and it's tried all manner of methods. One of the most forward-facing attempts by the platform was its trial of just halting all video streaming unless you disabled the blocker or got YouTube Premium.
YouTube's already going through enough problems right now, as users are growing incredibly frustrated with its TV streaming side. Recent reports claim that users are already thinking about ditching the service, considering they're missing out on the channels Disney provides, such as ESPN and ABC. Additionally, a substantial number of users reportedly surveyed state that if this continues, they will leave and find other avenues.
