2y ago

YouTube is reportedly slowing down videos for Firefox users

www.androidauthority.com YouTube is reportedly slowing down videos for Firefox users

Users are reporting that YouTube has begun adding a five second delay when loading a video on non-Chrome browsers like Firefox. Read on!

YouTube is reportedly slowing down videos for Firefox users::Users are reporting that YouTube has begun adding a five second delay when loading a video on non-Chrome browsers like Firefox. Read on!

BecomeMe @sh.itjust.works

YouTube is reportedly slowing down videos for Firefox users (Update: Statement)

www.androidauthority.com /youtube-reportedly-slowing-down-videos-firefox-3387206/

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BecomeMe @sh.itjust.works

YouTube is reportedly slowing down videos for Firefox users

www.androidauthority.com /youtube-reportedly-slowing-down-videos-firefox-3387206/

36 2

Technology @lemmy.ml

YouTube is reportedly slowing down videos for Firefox users

www.androidauthority.com /youtube-reportedly-slowing-down-videos-firefox-3387206/

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52 comments

That's an antitrust lawsuit waiting to happen
- Time to break Google up so they can buy all the companies the government forced them to sale!

Here’s a reason why net neutrality laws are good
- Seriously, someone needs to report this to the FCC since they just re-adopted Net Neutrality.
- not defending the behavior, but is this even an example of net neutrality? it's not like ISPs are putting a slow lane for specific browsers in this case. it seems more like a shitty dark pattern type thing (which should have consumer protections as well)
  
  It could still be argued as net neutrality, because the browser with the largest market share is slowing down bits on their way to a different browser when it comes to their video service.
  It also should be viewed negatively through an anti-competitive/monopolization lens.
  If the internet is truly and open platform where no bits are treated differently on the path to the user based on their content, then this is inherently antithetical to that. Slowing down bits because you don't like whats in them or where they are going is fundamentally breaking Net Neutrality rules. The interruption of bits on their path is what makes it a Net Neutrality issue.

fun fact, i had been noticing this for over a week or two already, today, after the first posts about this were gaining traction it stopped. They are probably trying to erase their tracks and make it seem like something that only happened to a few people for an unrelated reason.
- Or they do A\B testing and you fell from your initial group. Due to the nature of this lag, it's hard to confirm without internal leaks or investigation. At least, it got reported.
- I also noticed it. Put it down to my sometimes flakey wifi. But this makes more sense. What a bunch of babies.
  
  So that's why YouTube seemed to act weird. I thought my wi-fi was dying
- Wow yeah. The delays have stopped on my end as well today.
- i felt like this has been a thing since like 10 years ago. with 100 mbps connection yt would always struggle to buffer in ff

If YouTube really wanted to piss people off, all they would have to do is play the audio out of sync with the video. ;) I know, I know, "don't give them ideas!"
- Oh I'm sure with the lugnuts running the place they've thought of that already and have it on the backburner. They just haven't figured out a way to pin it on a "glitch" yet.

This is not Firefox specific. It's another anti ad blocker technique they're trying.
- Wait, so their solution to people using adblock is to add a 5sec delay to everyone's videos?
  
  Everyone not on chrome/chromium based browser it seems. Get everyone to switch to chrome then remove chrome's ability to block ads I assume is the plan, though I doubt anyone using Firefox isn't aware of chrome and this is likely to push them further away, not towards it.
  
  To anyone using an ad blocker it would appear. Not saying it's right, just trying to correct misinformation.

Time to spoof the user agent?
- Nah, just be patient and wait the 5s. They are trying to create an artificial problem to try to make users switch to their garbage Chrome browser. When they see that Firefox users are smarter and don't give a shit about their stupid tactics, or even better, use different apps like FreeTube to see the videos, they will stop. Either that or destroy the platform.
  I wait the 5 secs, don't bother me at all. It's not like they are an ad... :D
  
  deleted
- Nah, wouldn't want to contribute to Chrome market share.
- No, that just sweeps the issue under the rug.

Friendly reminder you can watch YouTube videos in VLC (I have not tested whether speed is affected this way)
- I'm pretty sure it takes more effort, if not also time, to copy URL into VLC every time i find a video.
  
  It’s about the principle lol

I wouldn't put it past them, but I think it needs more evidence.
- Try spoofing your user agent and see if it improves.
  
  Is anyone even able to reproduce the issue? It cannot be improved if you can't reproduce it in the first place.

The article gives the game away. Just change your user agent and you're golden.

F that

The video in the article does not clear caches before retrying and seeing a faster load. Amateur hour.
- They actually found a 5-second sleep embedded in the JavaScript, so it's not the cache.
  
  Depends, in the original Reddit thread, someone already pointed out that this 5s delay is to wait for some ad thing and then execute code if it doesn’t work within this timeframe. So… depending on what gets cached, blocked, loaded,… it might behave differently on a reload depending on cached data

They also restrict subscriptions to one account if you buy anything on the playstore. Subscriptions which aren't restricted by their creators. Google has become a full shitshow. I'll take care to give them 0$ from now on.

yt-[tab-tab] (paste)

Petty Alphabet…petty. Do you not have a killer AI coming? What does YouTube even matter in the face of what is coming. Do you really have competitive AI?

Why does this sub allow duplicate posts?

I've noticed that when I open a video in a new tab instead of just left-clicking it. Slightly annoying but better than ads and using chrome.

52 comments