Activists claim that YouTube's ad blocker detection script operates without user consent and violates EU directives

It has been learned that privacy protection activists have filed a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission, claiming that a script to detect ad blockers introduced by YouTube from October 2023 ``violates the EU's

Starting around May 2023, YouTube will begin testing a feature that will make it impossible to block ads. The measures began in earnest in October 2023.

The ``Allow ads on videos you watch'' page of YouTube Help also includes the following phrase: ``Blocking YouTube ads violates YouTube's Terms of Service.'' According to the news site The Register, this wording was added on October 16, 2023.

Allow ads on videos you watch - YouTube Help

Although the use of ad blockers is not explicitly prohibited in the Terms of Service, the use of ad blockers is prohibited under the 'Permissions and Restrictions' section. This is considered to fall under the category of 'obstructing in other ways.'

terms of service

And for users who are actually using ad blockers, a pop-up message saying ``Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube'' is displayed.

According to The Register, it is a pop-up like the one below.

In order to display pop-ups, YouTube uses a script for detecting ad blockers, and it has been pointed out that it is changed at least twice a day.

???? YouTube Anti-Adblock and Ads - October 16, 2023 (Weekly Thread) : r/uBlockOrigin
https://www.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/comments/178yasm/youtube_antiadblock_and_ads_october_16_2023/

Privacy activist Alexander Hanff has filed a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission, pointing out that the ad blocker detection script used by YouTube violates the ePrivacy Directive.

The ePrivacy Directive is a data protection regulation passed in 2002 and amended in 2009. 'Directives' are instructions from the EU to member states to create laws in line with the directives, and the directives themselves are not legally binding. In 2018, the General Data Protection Directive (GDPR) was implemented as a new regulation to protect personal data, supplementing the ePrivacy Directive.

What is GDPR? GIGAZINE.BIZ
https://gigazine.biz/word-gdpr/

Mr. Hanff claims that even though YouTube's script obtains browser information, it uses that information without the user's consent. When I contacted the Irish Data Protection Commission, they did not agree to the claim, but they did agree to contact YouTube.

In response to an interview with The Register, the Irish Data Protection Commission acknowledged that it had received Mr. Hanff's complaint, but declined to comment on the content as it is currently under investigation.