YouTube's Big Problem

Ad blockers can cause views on YouTube channels to drop. Photo: Bloomberg .

Over the past month, many YouTube creators have reported an unusual drop in viewership. The platform has yet to officially confirm the cause, but data suggests that ad blocking is the most likely explanation.

Since mid-August, some YouTubers have seen their views drop significantly, with many channels even seeing views drop by half. This has led to a number of theories in the community, from system errors to changes in the content distribution algorithm. However, the most obvious sign is related to users turning on ad blockers when accessing the platform.

Josh Strife Hayes, a popular YouTuber, said his views on TV, phones and tablets were unaffected, while his views from computers dropped by about 50% since mid-August. TechLinked, a channel under the Linus Tech Tips ecosystem, also recorded similar figures.

Google recently spoke out, indirectly acknowledging a link between the drop in views and the use of ad blockers.

“Ad blockers and other extensions can impact the accuracy of reported view counts. Channels with large audiences using these tools may see greater fluctuations when extensions are updated,” YouTube said in a statement.

The statement refutes earlier speculation that YouTube’s new age verification system was affecting views. The platform also stressed that there were no “systemic issues that directly impacted creators.” The global video giant also cited other possible reasons for the view fluctuations, such as seasonal viewing habits or increased competition.

Still, many creators believe that ad blockers are the key factor. Linus Tech Tips notes that while views have dropped, ad revenue has remained the same. This suggests that views from desktop users with ad blockers are not being recorded, but are not changing the revenue from legitimate views.

YouTube has yet to directly confirm the issue, but the platform's suggestion that ad blockers could be affecting metrics further reinforces the creator community's suspicions.

Source: https://znews.vn/van-de-lon-cua-youtube-post1585801.html