YouTube displays unskippable 90-second ads: Google confirms software bug.
Google has officially confirmed that the 90-second ads that cannot be turned off on YouTube are due to a technical error in the timer and are working to fix it.
YouTube users recently experienced a service disruption when numerous 90-second video ads appeared without a skip option. Although Google initially denied the existence of this format, company representatives have now officially provided a technical explanation for the issue.
Why are YouTube ads unusually long?
Speaking to 9to5Google, Google explained that the appearance of unskippable, ultra-long ads was the result of a software bug, rather than a new feature test as speculated online. Specifically, a system error caused the display timer to malfunction for ads that were originally shorter in duration.
Currently, a fix is being rolled out widely to prevent this from happening again. Google affirms that they have no plans to implement the 90-second unskippable ad format and are committed to maintaining current advertising standards on the platform.
Advertising policies and user tolerance levels
According to YouTube's current regulations, non-skippable ads are limited to a maximum of 30 seconds on the TV app and 15 seconds on mobile devices. Exceeding these time limits is considered a violation of Google's user experience policy.
This issue was primarily reported on the YouTube app for TV. Meanwhile, on mobile devices, users tend to demand shorter and more flexible formats. The pressure from increasing ad density is causing many users to consider switching to a Premium plan for a seamless experience.
Advertising incidents have occurred on the platform in the past.
This isn't the first time the search giant has faced bugs related to its advertising system. Earlier this year, some users using ad blockers experienced hours of intrusive video ads due to software conflicts.
The constant technical glitches in advertising not only annoy viewers but can also damage user trust in the platform. Experts believe Google needs to more tightly control software updates to avoid negative reactions from the community, especially in the context of the strong rise of competing short-video platforms.
