Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

TL;DR

• A country has introduced new rules that dramatically limit how long unskippable video ads can run on platforms like YouTube.
• The move targets long, forced ads and also bans delays when closing static ads.
• While ads fund creators on the platform, the regulation aims to rein in practices that many users feel are seriously hurting the viewing experience.

It’s safe to say that unskippable ads on YouTube are only getting longer and becoming an extreme nuisance. Of course, you can always pay for YouTube Premium to eliminate ads or use alternatives like the Morphe app, but the truth is that those options aren’t for everyone. No one can really stop YouTube from running more ads on the platform or increasing the length of unskippable commercials, which currently go up to 30 seconds. However, one country is now fighting back, not with popular opinion, but actual laws.

Vietnam is reportedly limiting unskippable ads on YouTube and other online platforms to five seconds. That means any video ads or ads with moving images will have to be made skippable after five seconds. Vietnam News reports that these new rules go into effect in the country starting February 15. Moreover, the new regulation also prohibits platforms from forcing people to wait before closing static ads.

Should governments step in to limit unskippable ads on YouTube?

9882 votes

Obviously, many YouTube users are welcoming this regulatory intervention. Comments on Reddit show this is something users want implemented in their own countries as well. Even if platforms like YouTube respond by increasing the number of skippable ads, the move still sends an important message that the current ad experience has gone largely unchecked for too long. Right now, viewers have little control over how many ads they’re shown or how long those ads last, unless they pay for a subscription.

To be fair, advertising is what keeps YouTube free to use and directly funds the creators that people come to the platform to watch. Ads are an essential part of the ecosystem. The issue, however, is that YouTube’s growing reliance on long, unskippable ads feels increasingly excessive. When these ads are pushed too aggressively, they not only interrupt videos but also severely deteriorate the viewing experience. This intervention, then, isn’t about removing ads altogether, but about reining in practices that have begun to prioritize monetization at the expense of user satisfaction.

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