YouTube may face criminal complaints in EU for using ad-block detection scripts

While ads suck and I think this is a shitty move by YouTube, I I find it hard to argue against a company that runs on ads not having a legitimate interest in making sure that they are being able to display them on their own website.

I think you could even make a good argument that YouTube MUST take appropriate measures to ensure that they display ads that have been paid for. To count impressions so they are able to bill their clients they need to do more or less the same things required to detect ad blocking.

Re: YouTube may face criminal complaints in EU for using ad-block detection scripts

#5

Post by sertbdfgbnfgsd » Mon, Nov 13, 2023, 1:03 PM UTC

zazazache wrote: post #4

While ads suck and I think this is a shitty move by YouTube, I I find it hard to argue against a company that runs on ads not having a legitimate interest in making sure that they are being able to display them on their own website. I think you could even make a good argument that YouTube MUST take appropriate measures to ensure that they display ads that have been paid for. To count impressions so they are able to b…

If we're going to make law that they must not under-count, lets also make law that they must not over-count.

In fact, given that their interest is in higher count, the argument that "they must count correctly to avoid under-counting" doesn't make any sense.

Re: YouTube may face criminal complaints in EU for using ad-block detection scripts

#6

Post by MiddleEndian » Mon, Nov 13, 2023, 1:04 PM UTC

jruohonen wrote: post #2

A move to criminal law is certainly interesting development in this domain.

Yeah, not really a fan. Youtube can attempt to ads. I can attempt to block those ads (and have succeeded without interruption so far lol). No need to get the govt involved.

Re: YouTube may face criminal complaints in EU for using ad-block detection scripts

#7

Post by thefounder » Mon, Nov 13, 2023, 1:04 PM UTC

Moldoteck wrote: post #3

why just yt? There are many more sites doing this

You have to start somewhere. If you take down something as big as YT the small cockroaches will be gone the next second.

Re: YouTube may face criminal complaints in EU for using ad-block detection scripts

#8

Post by QVVRP4nYz » Mon, Nov 13, 2023, 1:06 PM UTC

It was already covered in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38210226 . IMHO this case makes no sense at all.

Re: YouTube may face criminal complaints in EU for using ad-block detection scripts

#9

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Nov 13, 2023, 1:08 PM UTC

zazazache wrote: post #4

While ads suck and I think this is a shitty move by YouTube, I I find it hard to argue against a company that runs on ads not having a legitimate interest in making sure that they are being able to display them on their own website. I think you could even make a good argument that YouTube MUST take appropriate measures to ensure that they display ads that have been paid for. To count impressions so they are able to b…

[deleted]

Re: YouTube may face criminal complaints in EU for using ad-block detection scripts

#10

Post by jruohonen » Mon, Nov 13, 2023, 1:11 PM UTC

MiddleEndian wrote: post #6

jruohonen wrote: post #2

A move to criminal law is certainly interesting development in this domain.

Yeah, not really a fan. Youtube can attempt to ads. I can attempt to block those ads (and have succeeded without interruption so far lol). No need to get the govt involved.

> No need to get the govt involved.

Well, states are already involved in the EU due to the GDPR, e-privacy directive, and other things. But the case is interesting from a legal perspective. Note that the complainant refers to Irish criminal law, but there is also Directive 2013/40/EU, which contains rather similar mandates.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A...