Some Microsoft Edge users are blocked from using YouTube — here’s why
Microsoft's goal of giving users privacy protections is bumping right up against Google's goal of making ad money.
According to Windows Latest, some users of the Microsoft Edge browser (which is the default browser on Windows PCs) are reporting that they can't watch YouTube videos anymore.
Attempting to watch videos on YouTube brings up a warning that ad blockers violate the platform's terms of service, which thwarts them from accessing the content they want to consume.
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It is, of course, very strange for a major web browser to suddenly lose access to one of the most popular websites for video consumption. However, Windows Latest discovered that Edge users are seeing these warnings because they've set their tracking-prevention mode to "Strict" rather than "Basic" or "Balanced."
In case you aren't aware, Edge offers users the aforementioned three options to gain control over how websites track their behavior. "Basic" only offers minimal protection while "Strict," according to Microsoft, blocks most trackers across sites.
In addition, personalization across ads will be minimal. However, Microsoft warns that browsing Edge with under "Strict" mode may negatively affect websites' behavior. "For example, a video might not play, or you might not be able to sign in," the Redmond-based tech giant said.
Windows Latest found that going with "Basic" or "Balanced" should stop the YouTube-blocking issue from occuring.
Of course, that will open you up to more ad tracking, but that's the world we live in, unfortunately.
Topics Microsoft
Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.
