Overview
- Widespread reports in the United States since November 7 describe gray or empty video panes and missing thumbnails, but the platform itself is not down.
- Impact varies by setup: Opera GX users report the most disruption, Chromium browsers are more affected when logged into Google, and some users on Firefox or Edge with uBlock Origin still view videos normally.
- YouTube has shifted from on‑screen warnings to outright blocking access when it infers that advertising is being filtered.
- Detection methods cited in technical reports include noticing absent ad‑script requests, injecting invisible bait ads, and checking public extension identifiers.
- Outlets list workarounds such as updating filter lists, adding YouTube exceptions, switching browsers or clients, or disabling blockers, while a paid Premium subscription removes YouTube‑served ads; the reach beyond the U.S. remains unclear.