Is YouTube Throttling Video Playback for Firefox Users? Find Out Now!

YouTube’s website is said to be slowing down for some people on Mozilla Firefox. Users have reported a five-second lag when loading YouTube videos on Firefox, which disappears when the user agent is switched to Chrome. This has caused confusion among users and sparked discussions on social media.

The slowdown issue was first brought to light by a Reddit user who posted a video demonstrating the lag loading YouTube videos on Firefox. They also shared a workaround by temporarily switching to a Chrome disguise, which allowed the video to load instantly.

Further investigation by users revealed that the slowdown is not a Firefox bug but an intentional addition in the JavaScript code of YouTube’s desktop client. It is believed that this delay might be linked to ad display, possibly as a workaround for users employing ad blockers.

Several Firefox and Edge users have reported experiencing the delay, even with extensions disabled, suggesting that it might be an account-specific issue and not just affecting Mozilla’s browser. The delay reportedly happens every time a user opens a YouTube link in a new tab.

Some people have speculated that this delay might be an attempt by YouTube to force ads on users who block them. The code in question might be trying to ensure that an ad plays for at least five seconds before the actual video starts.

This situation is not the first time that Firefox users have experienced issues with YouTube on their browser. In 2018, a Mozilla executive alleged that YouTube pages loaded five times slower on Firefox and Edge compared to Chrome.

YouTube has not responded to requests for an explanation, but this issue has sparked conversations about the ongoing battle between users and platforms over ad blocking. Users are hoping for a resolution that ensures a smooth and seamless experience when using YouTube on all web browsers.