The free ‘Return YouTube Dislike’ extension injected pop-ups to advertise a premium tier. Users called it an unwanted ad; the developer said he just needs more funds to keep it going.
A free browser extension that can restore the dislike count on YouTube videos is facing user backlash for allegedly introducing pop-up ads.
Return YouTube Dislike emerged in 2021 after YouTube decided to hide the dislike count from public view to prevent online harassment. The extension, which is available for the major browsers including Chrome and Firefox, has attracted over 20 million unique daily users.
But this week, users began noticing the extension serving up pop-ups. One of them opened a side-window next to a YouTube video, encouraging the user to unlock the extension’s “Premium” version by donating to the developer’s Patreon page for $5 per month.
When it initially rolled out, the pop-up could also persist or fail to close, according to users.
A second pop-up opened a new tab in the browser, promoted the extension’s « Premium Release », and encouraging the user to upgrade by donating on Patreon. In response, some users criticized the pop-ups as intrusive “ads,” leading to a surge in negative reviews for the extension.
“You became the exact thing you were meant to fight against, greedy sleazy corporate bullcrap,” wrote one user on the Chrome Web Store.
