this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023
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Pretty much the subject line. uBO has successfully blocked the nag screen enough times that I can't play anything at this point. No preview loads, and the play button serves no function. I'd really prefer not to have to find content on YT, copy the URL and use Piped/Invidious, but this ongoing escalation is steeling my resolve to screw Google.

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I usually do this:

  • refresh uBo caches
  • delete all site data of youtube (in the shield thingy left of address bar)
  • close the browser

Mostly always worked

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yep I've had to do this a couple of times. I'd rather go through this dance than watch a single ad.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

I'm to the point where I have a container tab for yt I delete and recreate.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

delete all site data of youtube (in the shield thingy left of address bar)

For me that step alone has always worked. No need to touch UBO or restart the browser. Just clear data and refresh.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Youtube is not ahead as of now, you can check on this website: https://drhyperion451.github.io/does-uBO-bypass-yt/ It also links to a guide.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago

And make sure to read the guide. I think they recommend setting the extension to defaults. As fiddling with the settings and enabling additional filter lists can cause this.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Been using Freetube, and I even get watch history on it without needing to enable a "use my watch history for advertising" setting. No issues so far, but I don't watch in higher resolutions so no idea if that would cause any issues.

Someone else already mentioned LibRedirect, I have that setup to link to Freetube.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Freetube is so amazing, I'm never going back.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Revanced hasn't had any issues throughout this. I only watch YouTube on Android anyway.

(doesn't help for desktop use, but it's an option and maintains all of YouTubes native functionality + premium features)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

desktop use

May be time to explore Android emulators. I know some linux distros incorporate them, and there are some options for Win and Mac.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Or look into FreeTube, it works really well on desktop

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

True, it’s good to keep track of all options because any of them could stop working one day.

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[–] flumph 15 points 1 year ago (6 children)

You could pay for the service with cash instead of ad views. Works on all devices without having to set up an adblocking VPN or Pi-Hole.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I don't think you can be sure they're not profiling you for advertising on other sites just because they're not showing ads on YouTube. The purpose of uBO is security. Plus I wouldn't give money to a shady company like Google anyway.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

For everyone who feels righteous by paying YouTube for content, here are some things to consider:

  1. A part of your payment goes to Google - who is involved in unethical and often illegal subversion of privacy and user rights on the internet by corruption of the very foundations of the web.

  2. They're coming up with their 'content is not free' argument after they've killed off all their competitors. They're in a position to demand because they played a bait-and-switch and succeeded in it.

I'm not against paid services, and especially not against paying the content creators. But when you pay a crook for their services, you bear responsibility for their actions.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (10 children)

That’s what I do. Works great. Or don’t pay and don’t use it. Crazy talk, I know!

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

No problems yet with Firefox + uBO

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

https://libredirect.github.io/download.html works great for automating link redirects to alternative sites.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

This looks promising. Just the fact that it autopings the list of servers on demand solves much of my Invidious frustration.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

I'm using FreeTube and NewPipe to view now. Yewt.ube is working on iOS devices in Safari with 1Blocker. Firefox and uBO is my last option if I happen to click a link that opens automatically.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

If you don't mind the impossibility to login, check out Freetube.

For Android, you may use NewPipe, LibreTube or Youtube Vanced.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

I've had on and off problems with YT. On days where uBO is behind, I right click and open in private window. It's a shitty workaround, but it works.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've noticed that the nag screen never shows up in a private tab. In the last week I've gotten in the habit of right-clicking a video and choosing Open Link in New Private Window. It's not very convenient, but it has been working.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Isn't that because all extensions are disabled unless you explicitly turn them on for private windows? uBO is off so you obviously won't see the nag screen.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I just checked and I do have uBO enabled for private windows, so I'm not sure why it isn't getting caught. I started doing it because I noticed that YouTube was giving one "free" view per day, and then your second view would get the nag screen. So I figured the private window might make you show up as a new person each time, so you always get the initial nag-free video.

But it seems like the nag screen shows up even on the first view now, so I'm not sure why this private tab trick is still working.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Then I guess it's just down to cookies? Private doesn't transfer cookies from the main session. You start with a clean slate all the time.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

This ad blocking tug-of-war game is absolutely fascinating in so many ways. One cannot help but be entertained by the two sets of opposing engineers fighting each other for technological dominance

I love it

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Use Brave Browser instead. I haven't had any issues at all watching YT using Brave.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There are a multitude of reasons to recommend against using Brave.

Personally I refuse to install it because the CEO and creator, Brendan Eich, unapologetically donates to right wing and anti-gay establishments. Many people refuse to use it because it games the users and advertisers with a proprietary cryptocurrency that isn't actually useful for anything except making money for Brave. Others refuse to use it because in 2020 Brave was caught adding their own affiliate codes and tracking data to websites in the url bar, even ones that were typed in by hand. That was eventually rolled back but it didn't help me trust them any.

Vivaldi is a better browser option, in my opinion.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Pretty much every CEO of every company is right wing. Several prominent Democrats are right-wing in their politics, and will still get the backing of the party regardless. That's what happens when all you elect are capitalists.

I do not care about shitcoins either way.

I've never heard of Vivaldi. Does the adblock work?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yep, most of them aren't anti-gay maybe.

But they're all 100% anti-union, anti-social welfare, anti-tax, pro-inequality, pro-monopoly, and anti-democracy. Kristal Ball called them "woke pinkertons".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

It's true.

That's why I scratch my head a little whenever someone tells me I can't use a certain product. For instance, it's impossible for me to use a computer that, at some level, hasn't been sourced from an oppressed labor force.

The society I live in is impossible to exist in if I abstain from everything I need due to negative political connotations.

I do what I can to effect better outcomes in my own small sphere, but asking someone to forego any problematic associations in their consumption is like asking someone not to breathe.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Freetube pointing to a local instance of Invidious.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No problems with YouTube Premium.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Its just not that you want to pay a company that sold your data and stuffed ads down your throat. Like, at all. Will they still track you using Premium? I am totally certain.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Google doesn't sell user data. They sell advertising space and use that data for targeted advertising.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I've bought genuinely useful stuff from targeted ads. I'm the problem.

[–] Jagget 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Never yet had problems with paid AdGuard

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