To a large extent, YouTube generates revenue through ads that play on the website and during videos. Therefore, more and more people are using ad blockers for a smoother, interruption-free experience. Google is not happy with such third-party applications.
In recent months, the platform has implemented multiple strategies to promote YouTube Premium subscriptions and prevent people from using tools that hide ads and violate terms of service. For instance, users employing such browser extensions encounter a message preventing them from watching more videos.
Similarly, the company announced last year that users with ad blockers might experience slower loading times and "suboptimal" views, encouraging people to uninstall third-party apps and opt for YouTube Premium. It seems the new measure goes even further.
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YouTube uses more CPU when ad blockers are in use, according to reports
Recently, a Reddit thread about YouTube caught attention. Users specifically reported that having Adblock enabled leads to slower loading times and higher CPU usage, potentially causing less powerful computers to overheat.
The PCGamer tested the hypothesis and found that when using an ad blocker to access the platform for video viewing, CPU usage increased by about 17%. 9to5Google reached a similar conclusion, reporting that the site performs worse with Adblock.
Whether it's a deliberate decision or a technical issue remains unknown, and YouTube does not warn users. On social media, some confessed to deleting files and taking other measures in an attempt to find the error causing their computers to overheat.
"I wondered why my laptop was running like a jet for the past few days," wrote one person on Reddit. Another commented, "I upgraded my PC after New Year, and I thought I did something wrong because YouTube started working worse since the upgrade."
As PCGamer highlights, this situation could lead to laptops and other low-end devices experiencing heat-related issues. Unfortunately, it seems that YouTube Premium members are facing similar inconveniences. Despite having an active subscription, writer Sarah James used Adblock and found that CPU usage increased between 15% and 18%.
Users acknowledge that Google's platform has the right to prohibit access to those using ad blockers but believe it's a mistake to affect people's hardware.
But tell us, what do you think of this controversy? Have you noticed any issues with the platform in the last few days? Let us know in the comments.
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