YouTube tests harder-to-block server-side ad injection in videos

YouTube is reportedly shifting from client-side to server-side ad injection, integrating ads directly into video streams and making them harder for browser-based ad blockers and the SponsorBlock extension to detect or skip. SponsorBlock has temporarily restricted some submissions to avoid data corruption and is exploring metadata-based methods to adapt, while Google confirms the update may cause suboptimal experiences for users with ad blockers and reiterates its Terms of Service stance.