EU Regulators Crack Down On YouTube: No More Ad Blockers Allowed!
YouTube recently made it mandatory for users to stop using ad blockers, otherwise they will see messages that can even prevent them from accessing content on the platform. Most countries will follow the new rules, which YouTube says will help content creators earn.
But the company’s reasons probably won’t cut it in Europe. Privacy experts have pointed out that YouTube’s call to allow ads to free users is illegal under European Union (EU) law. In fact, YouTube has been accused of spying on users now that it can detect who has installed ad blockers to prevent ads from being seen on the platform.
Google and other tech giants like Apple have already faced the ire of EU regulators, and YouTube could face a long battle with authorities as it tries to justify ways to detect these blockers and force YouTube’s free users to watch ads often between videos. These changes have caused people to remove ad blockers from their browser because it is not useful for them after YouTube’s stance of showing ads on free accounts.
Experts are clearly of the opinion that, in addition to digital laws, YouTube also violates several basic rights of consumers in the region. So if the platform is caught breaking the rules with its anti-ad blocking policies, it’s likely that the company will have to revise its position in the area, which Meta recently had to do with Instagram and Facebook.
The social networking giant decided that if any Facebook or Instagram user does not want to see ads on the platform based on their online activity, they must register with a monthly fee that exempts them from such activity.
