YouTube users are furious after reporting that their PCs have begun overheating and slowing down if they have AdBlock installed.
Those who use YouTube frequently will know the struggle of having to sit through dozens of ads when watching a new video. While ads have now become commonplace across streaming platforms and content online, YouTube has ramped up the amount of advertisements that feature across the site.
YouTube Premium first launched back in 2014, the paid subscription offering up a variety of perks for users, including being able to watch videos on the platform without any ads.
However, many internet users have found ways to work around YouTube’s ads via blocking software as well. Recently though, users have noticed issues with YouTube in regards to simply having AdBlock installed on their hardware. Though it’s crucial to note these issues seemingly fall on AdBlock’s shoulders, not those of YouTube.
YouTube when adblock is on pic.twitter.com/VbB9jhVnXQ
— CrazyCrafter223 (MODEL COMMISSIONS OPEN 0/5) (@CrazyCrafter223) January 13, 2024
While the initial repercussions involved YouTube slowing down and being more buggy to navigate, people online are now reporting that AdBlock is slowing down and even heating up their PC.
One Twitter user wrote how they “disabled AdBlock for a second and CPU temp immediately reduced by like 15 degrees lmao, its real…F**k YouTube, this should be illegal honestly.”
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Another commented, “I for one would rather YouTube *not* purposefully f**k with my equipment but that’s just me. Also, it’s still a factor if you’re running other stuff with YouTube, my CPU hovers on 60c when I’m actively using it and throttles at 80, YouTube doing that would start throttle on me.”
A third user added, “thought something weird was going on… it’s so hot here though it might just be the ambient heat.”
The slow-down also appears to be impacting users who are subscribed to YouTube Premium while using AdBlocker for other websites.
“I have Premium yet YouTube still does this to me. I just had to disable it while I’m on YouTube and whitelist the website. This is insane,” added another YouTube user.
At the time of writing, YouTube and AdBlock have not addressed the controversy online or responded to user complaints. However, we’ll be sure to keep you updated as further developments on the story appear.