I tried DuckDuckGo's new video player, and it blocks YouTube ads for free

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With Google killing ad blockers in Chrome, DuckDuckGo has decided to do something about it by blocking video ads, even on YouTube.

The latest version of the DuckDuckGo browser includes a feature that blocks video ads - I tried it, and it works really well. The new version (1.197.0) now includes the ability to block video ads on YouTube, thanks to the Duck Player.

According to the official DuckDuckGo Help Pages, "The browser's built-in video player protects you from tracking cookies and personalized ads by enforcing YouTube's strictest privacy settings for embedded video, all within a clean, theater-like interface."

Also: Chrome's next update will kill your adblocker - and make the web less safe

Currently, Duck Player is available in the DuckDuckGo browser for MacOS, Windows, Android, and iOS (sadly, there is still no Linux version of the browser). Duck Player is enabled by default, so as soon as you open the browser and start enjoying videos on YouTube, you'll notice that those videos are ad-free.

Duck Player and video ad blocking are both enabled by default.

Of course, if you want to use the default version of YouTube, you can simply disable Duck Player, and you're good to go.

I tested Duck Player via the DuckDuckGo browser on MacOS by way of watching the full Rush 50-Something tour (which is over two hours), and not one ad played. I could see the spots in the timeline where the ads should have played, yet they didn't.

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That's some serious magic DuckDuckGo has pulled off, and I'm here for it.

I get it: People and businesses need to keep the lights on, and for the longest time, it seemed online advertising was the way to go. But embedded video ads are problematic. For one thing, they can be really startling -- especially if you have your volume turned up loud enough to enjoy music. As we all know, ads are intentionally LOUDER. I've had the volume turned up so loud that when an ad started playing, I was afraid the sound would blow my speakers.

Ads can also be problematic when you're trying to do screen sharing on, say, a Zoom call, and a video you need to play is on YouTube. Thanks to targeted ads, that could get embarrassing.

There's also the privacy issue . Video ads are yet another way websites and companies can collect your personal data. Consumers do not need yet another privacy battle on their hands.