From Elon Musk's 'Ugh' To Dogecoin Co-Creator's Call-Out: YouTube's Ad Control Changes Under Fire

Elon Musk and Dogecoin DOGE/USD co-creator Billy Markus, popularly known as Shibetoshi Nakamoto, have publicly criticized Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL -owned YouTube’s decision to strip creators of some ad control options. 

What Happened: In November, the online video-sharing platform plans to eliminate individual ad controls in YouTube Studio for pre-roll, post-roll, skippable, and non-skippable ads on new videos. 

Instead, creators will have a binary choice: ads before or after a video, with YouTube determining the type of ad to display.

While YouTube said most creators won’t be affected, those desiring precise control over their viewers’ ad experiences are disappointed. 

See Also: Elon Musk’s Next Lifeline For X Could Be Premium Referral Commissions To Counter Revenue Hits

The announcement was met with backlash on social media, including Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, with many creators expressing their frustration.

High-profile figures like Musk and Dogecoin co-creator also weighed in. While the tech billionaire posted a simple “Ugh,” Nakamoto took a more direct approach, highlighting the intrusive nature of random, unskippable ads.

YouTube previously announced a change in its ad format — replacing two consecutive 15-second ads with a single 30-second ad on top-performing content on connected TVs. It also justified the decision to prohibit ad-blockers and prioritize ads to sustain its free accessibility for users worldwide. 

Additionally, YouTube's senior ranks are reportedly concerned that the platform's "Shorts" feature might be cannibalizing its long-format video revenue. 

Why It’s Important: Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022 and made it clear that he intends to rebrand the platform under the name X as an “everything app.” 

This includes adding features that resemble the flagship functionality of other popular platforms like YouTube and Microsoft Corporation’s MSFT LinkedIn. 

Previously, X CEO Linda Yaccarino characterized Musk’s vision for “X” as the realm of boundless interactivity, primarily focused on audio, video, messaging, payments, and banking.

Although Musk’s leadership of the microblogging site has faced criticism, backlash, and whatnot for removing and adding features, it has also been applauded for considering users’ product requests. 

Just last month, Musk said that verified users on the platform can now download videos, but only if the content creator allows it. 

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