YouTube comments, descriptions missing amid ad-block crackdown: Report

Reportedly, YouTube users report missing comments and video descriptions, with anti-adblock measures suspected as the platform continues its crackdown on ad blockers and browser loopholes

YouTube users are reportedly encountering a new issue with the platform. Comments and video descriptions are failing to load, and the ongoing anti-adblock crackdown may be a contributing factor. According to a report by 9To5Google, several users have claimed that videos they are watching appear to have comments disabled entirely, with descriptions also missing.

 

Over the past few months, YouTube has stepped up its crackdown on ad blockers. The platform continues to roll out new restrictions, which are often met with quick workarounds from users, creating an ongoing back-and-forth that at times has led to feature disruptions.

YouTube Ad blocking measures: What we know so far

As previously reported, Google has restricted background playback on mobile browsers to YouTube Premium subscribers, affecting users who relied on third-party browsers like Brave to play videos with the screen off.

 

 

According to 9To5Google, several users on Reddit and other forums have said that comment sections are not appearing on the videos they watch. Normally, it is up to individual creators to disable comments on specific uploads. However, in this case, users claim the issue is happening across nearly all videos they open, suggesting it may not be an isolated decision by creators but a broader problem affecting their accounts or viewing experience. 

 

The root cause of the issue remains uncertain, but a common link among affected users is the use of ad blockers. The report suggested two possible explanations. YouTube could be intentionally limiting access to features like comments and video descriptions for users with ad-blocking tools enabled. On the other hand, recent updates to some ad blockers may be disrupting how YouTube loads its interface, resulting in these sections not appearing. 

 

As reported, a similar issue surfaced last year when a change in a popular ad blocker affected view counts, which some creators referred to as a “view-pocolypse.” The current problem has reportedly caused frustration among users, as comments play an important role in the interaction between creators and their audiences.