YouTube accused of criminal “spying” for ad blocker detection in Europe،
In late October, YouTube began cracking down on ad blockers. The company wants users to watch videos containing ads as expected or sign up for YouTube Premium if ads bother them. This decision has upset many people, and now one of them is taking action.
According to The register (via Android Authority), a privacy advisor is preparing to take criminal action against YouTube in Europe. The reason? Scripts that detect and limit the use of ad blockers on the platform.
Alexander Hanff is taking legal action against the streaming platform under the Irish Computer Abuse Act. The privacy advisor mentioned that he had informed the national police of his intention to share details of the criminal complaint. The police apparently acknowledged receipt of the complaint and requested more information.
Hanff claims that YouTube uses unauthorized tracking scripts aimed at identifying ad blockers. According to him, this activity amounts to unauthorized surveillance of EU citizens. Additionally, Hanff filed a civil complaint against YouTube’s browser query system, designed to identify and counter ad blockers. This complaint has been made to the Irish Data Protection Commission.
The regulator has contacted Google and is now waiting for the company to provide its views on Hanff’s claims.
But this privacy consultant doesn’t just point the finger at YouTube. He claims that over the past 5 years, Meta has also been in the game of “illegally» intercept data transmissions within an information system (aka devices) to monitor its behavior.
When asked about the choice to file a criminal complaint, Hanff explained: “I chose to go the route of a criminal complaint because historically, EU regulators have been absolutely terrible at enforcing the ePrivacy Directive..”
However, things are changing with the new Digital Markets Act (DMA). The EU sets clear criteria for the gatekeepers – those big digital players like Meta, Google, Microsoft and Apple. With the DMA taking effect, these companies must revamp their policies, and some have already started.
Meta, for example, has rolled out an ad-free paid subscription in the EU, a move required by the EU for users who prefer an ad-free feed. And there’s much more to come, as Apple prepares to adjust its App Store policies in accordance with the DMA, opening its ecosystem to competition.
