YouTube Users Complain of Mysterious 5-Second Loading Delay on Videos
Reports are flooding in from across the internet about a strange five-second loading delay when users open a YouTube video. This unusual phenomenon was first discovered by a user on the YouTube subreddit, but the original clip has since been deleted by moderators. However, copies of the video showing the delay on Firefox have surfaced, and users have reported similar issues on non-Chrome browsers like Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Safari. There are even claims that the delay occurs on Google Chrome, although less frequently.
Internet sleuths have identified a specific line of code in a YouTube Javascript source file as the likely cause of the five-second delay. However, in our experience, we did not come across that specific line of code, and did not encounter any performance issues when opening a YouTube video on Firefox, Edge, or Chrome. It’s possible that this issue is only affecting a small number of accounts.
So, what’s causing this mysterious delay? According to a spokesperson from YouTube, the delay is a result of the company’s efforts to crack down on ad blockers. “Users who have ad blockers installed may experience suboptimal viewing,” said the spokesperson. YouTube would prefer that users either enable ads or purchase a Premium subscription.
Additional details about the issue were provided by a user on X (formerly known as Twitter), who explained that the delay is caused by a new anti-adblock functionality being tested primarily for third-party browsers. Some frustrated users have criticized the delay as a “lazy attempt” by YouTube to ensure that ads are played for at least five seconds before the video loads. The user also mentioned that browsers with tracking protection enabled, like Firefox, will also be negatively affected.
For users who have the uBlock Origin extension installed, there is a potential workaround. By adding a specific filter to the extension’s configuration, the artificial delay can be reduced to 0.001ms, according to a report by Tom’s Hardware.
It is unclear whether YouTube’s efforts to crack down on ad blockers have been successful. While the crackdown may have caused some users to uninstall their extensions, it has also led to ongoing frustration and a potential shift towards other ad-free video platforms. This could result in an ongoing battle between YouTube and its users.
For more technology news and updates, make sure to visit TechRadar for the latest list of the best ad blockers for 2023.
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