This New Form of Advertising on YouTube Is Frustrating Users Worldwide

Months ago, YouTube announced changes to its advertising system, but no one expected this.

Gone are the days when YouTube was a simple platform where users uploaded videos, without likes or ads, just a space for sharing content. As the platform grew in popularity, annoying ads began to appear. At first, there were one or two ads per video, and they were usually skippable. Then came the unskippable ads, which have started showing up in more and more videos.

Along with these advertising changes, YouTube introduced its Premium subscription, allowing users to enjoy their favorite content ad-free. Despite campaigns encouraging users to switch to this paid plan, it seems YouTube Premium hasn't achieved the desired results, so their advertising strategy has become increasingly aggressive.

Nowadays, you'll notice more ads in each video, with fewer that you can skip. But if that already seemed like a nuisance, unfortunately, YouTube has found a way to show even more ads.

The next time you pause a video, you might actually see an ad. This new measure has caused discontent among users who already found the ads intrusive. According to the platform, this approach will interfere less with the viewing experience since the ad will appear during a voluntary pause, unlike current ads that often abruptly interrupt videos.

These new ads have been tested for a while, so you might have seen them before. Oluwa Falodun, YouTube's communications manager, told The Verge that both "advertisers and viewers responded positively to the pause ads". From now on, all advertisers will be able to use this format.

These mid-video ads are mostly seen on smart TVs, but they also appear in YouTube's smartphone app. It's likely that this type of ad will expand to other devices, such as tablets and computers.

Many users have voiced their frustrations on social media, with some even threatening to switch to alternative platforms. While YouTube defends this new ad strategy as a way to create a more seamless viewing experience, it risks alienating its audience, especially those unwilling or unable to subscribe to YouTube Premium.