YouTube to scrap ‘unskippable’ 30-second adverts

Google has announced that it will do away with the 30-second ‘unskippable’ adverts that appear before Youtube videos, as from 2018.

The 30-second ads will not completely disappear but users will be able to skip them after a few seconds.

Google said it will focus on commercial formats for better ads experience.

“We’re committed to providing a better ads experience for users online. As part of that, we’ve decided to stop supporting 30-second unskippable ads as of 2018 and focus instead on formats that work well for both users and advertisers,” Google said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Google and Microsoft have signed up to a voluntary code of practice which will make it difficult for search engine users to access illegal content.

Pirate search results will be demoted in results, making it less likely that searchers will click on them.

The new arrangement between the two technology companies will help to protect the right of copyright holders and users.

Eddy Leviten, director general at the Alliance for Intellectual Property, said, “Sometimes people will search for something and they will end up unwittingly being taken to a pirated piece of content.

“What we want to ensure is that the results at the top of the search engines are the genuine ones. It is about protecting people who use the internet, but also protecting the creators of that material too.”