Technology

For people who only go off headlines and comments and don't read the article, here's the important bits:

• This only affects some users, not everyone
• The issue is that comment sections are disabled and video descriptions claim to be empty
• The issue goes away with a refresh, you don't need to turn off the adblocker, though you'll have to refresh every video
• It affects all videos
• The link to adblockers is due to everyone who is reporting the issue being a user of an adblocker, and turning it off fixing the issue permanently until it's turned on again
• There's no specific browser or adblocker mentioned in the article
• It affects Premium users too

edit: added "the article" after "don't read" to clarify

I'll stop using YT before i start watching ads.

So my adblocker now also removes comments? That's more of a feature than a hurdle!

No issues ublock and FF.

uBlock Origin on Firefox with default settings and filterlists still works successfully on Youtube.

"Based on these reports, users see a message stating “Comments are turned off,” which appears across a wide range of videos"

Seems like a win to me.

For Android user I can recommend Newpipe. For the desktop I use FreeTube

Both have occassional issues when YT rolls out their latest enshittification features, but the devs are quite responsive.

Regardless, YT is a loosing battle, so prepare for the day when Google will win this arms race. That is why alternatives like PeerTube are important.

I’ve stopped using YouTube for the most part. Cut down a lot once they broke the search function and I could no longer find what I was looking for because every result would be flooded with random shorts and other irrelevant content.

Then, my account, which was made in either 05 or 06, got flagged as belonging to a minor and they asked me to verify my age with an ID. Why this even happened when the account itself is over 18 now, and I’m not in the US (which I thought was the only place their age verification BS was being implemented) is beyond me.

I wish there were more options for long form video sharing, since YouTube seems to be the only viable platform for it at the moment.

There is no fucking way in hell I'll ever a) watch ads b) pay for Youtube Premium. They created this monopoly with no alternative option and now we're suppose to just get fucked while they get even more obscenely rich beyond all tasteful levels. Yeah, I don't think so. And given how I ditched everything Google, if it ever comes to it, I'll ditch Youtube too. It's basically the only thing I still even use from Google because there's just no alternative.

YouTube is coming up with another infuriating way to force users to pay for Premium subscription or watch ads.

Or to let us know its time to quit. I have narrowed down my youtube use a lot. If it is ad only I won't bother at all.

Won't miss much frankly.

So I can still watch the video, just not read the comments that I never read anyway, and can't click the "link in the description ", which hurts creators way more than it hurts me.

Makes sense ... ?

Apparently there is a way around it as I've been watching YouTube all day and haven't encountered a single ad.

I don't really get the sentiment here - what's happening is the standard development if a public good (that youtube kind of was before google purchased them) gets privatized. It's the same with communications (isn't AT&T great?), water, electricity, rail infrastructure and trains, roads - investors are never good for the public good. They're only good at lining their pockets.

I find getting rid of YouTube to be incredibly difficult. I use both peer-tube and odysee as much as possible, but still find myself on YouTube more than I'd like. Of course, I'm only doing YouTube through a newpipe, but it's still accessing YouTube.

They did successfully disable uBlock Origin for me on chrome but I found a workaround that so far seems to be sticking fine despite further updates. Still see comments and descriptions fine on youtube. Occasionally things take a little longer to load than I would expect but I'll take a longer load time on a black screen over being stuck watching dogshit ads relentlessly.

uBlock also seems to just continue to work on FireFox which also plays youtube fine.

I was wondering why I couldn't see descriptions and comments on seemingly random videos for the past two days. Also, it's weird because I use Ublock Origin on Firefox and it's rare that these changes actually effect Ublock Origin. It seems like it may be fixed now though, but I haven't been actively checking.

Pretty sure this does not affect Firefox as my adblocker still does the job

They will still inject ads to your home feed even if you get premium. I noticed the “Introducing” titled video recommendations which are usually 1-2 mins and they essentially place an item in your home feed. When I asked support they confirmed they were targeted ads but you don’t have to click them LMAO. Filthy lying company.

Invidious if you can host it yourself.

Freetube if you cannot.

Yt-dlp if all else fails.

Same content, and besides needing an occasional update when google tries to break them again, no bullshit.

I realised a lot of my yt usage was for having something playing in the background. I've been listening to more podcasts and audiobooks instead and it's been pretty easy to cut back.

Great... Fewer humans and even more bots in the comments... That's a genius idea.

68% of people who responded to the poll at the link say that they are not affected. Only 10% of responders are.

Probably A/B testing.

I'm not lowering my security for Google.

ReVanced seems fine

I mirror my yt channel that feeds my family to peertube for my viewers. No one watches it, but I'll keep trying.

Newpipe working for me right now. I hope it lasts.