Jason KoeblerNov 20, 2023

New: Firefox users have reported an "artificial" 5-second delay when they try to load YouTube videos that is magically fixed if they use Chrome, which has been going viral in a few different places. I asked Google what is going on. They

1) Didn't deny the artificial wait time is happening
2) Said it's part of its war on ad blockers, not targeted at Firefox

Mozilla also told me no indication this is targeted at Firefox

https://www.404media.co/youtube-says-new-5-second-video-load-delay-is-supposed-to-punish-ad-blockers-not-firefox-users/

YouTube Says New 5-Second Video Load Delay Is Supposed to Punish Ad Blockers, Not Firefox Users

Firefox users are reporting an 'artificial' load time on YouTube videos. YouTube says it's part of a plan to make people who use adblockers "experience suboptimal viewing, regardless of the browser they are using."

404 Media
Show threadJason Koebler

This explanation, I think, is actually crazier. Google is introducing quality of life problems to adblock users without telling them why their experience is getting worse.

I think this is actually the bigger risk associated with YT's anti adblock campaign. Google is tinkering with things constantly, and rolling out different detection methods and making user experience worse in a haphazard way. People rightly then have no idea what's going on or why this has happened

Nov 20, 2023 at 10:42pmElk
Show threadJason KoeblerNov 20, 2023
This throttling story was on top of HackerNews, top of r/technology, top of r/youtube, top of r/firefox. People are very mad, and it's a result of constant tinkering that affects some people but not others ... just ... why would you do this
Show threadA cool crab wearing shadesNov 20, 2023
@jasonkoebler "constant tinkering that affects some people but not others" is how Google has rolled for many years
Show threadlampsofgoldNov 20, 2023
@jasonkoebler it’s so funny, it’s the curse of bigness/enshittification in it’s most raw form. Some google princeling trying to squeeze a fractional penny out of some small % of users accidentally introduces regulatory exposure
Show threadhannahNov 20, 2023
@jasonkoebler I was wondering what the issue was. I use Firefox Focus mobile browser and whenever I get the disable your adblock dealie on a website I just give up, it's never worth it.
Show threadAnthonyNov 21, 2023
@[email protected] Google is just begging regulators to step in. They're pulling 1990s Microsoft browser wars stuff regularly at this point.
Show threadQuincy ⁂Nov 21, 2023

@jasonkoebler

yes, this actually makes it worse 😆

everyone should simply quit #google.

it's an abusive monopolist.

any "convenience" it offers is utterly irrelevant in comparison with the negative impact of its monopoly.

any inconvenience caused by switching away, even to alternatives that aren't perfect, will be temporary if enough people choose to do so.

Show threadGreg SpradlinNov 22, 2023
@jasonkoebler Google Doc’s p