Google has announced it will begin automatically blocking autoplaying videos within its Chrome web browser from next year.
The company says videos that play without sound will be allowed to autoplay, along with subjects the user has previously shown an interest in.
“Chrome will be making auto-play more consistent with user expectations and will give users more control over audio,” the firm said in a blog post,
“These changes will also unify desktop and mobile web behavior, making web media development more predictable across platforms and browsers.”
The changes will come into play with the release of Chrome 64 early next year.
In the interim, Chrome 63 will add an option allowing folks to disable audio from autoplaying videos on individual websites.
The site muting option is a handy means of avoiding audio on some sites, but keeping it in play on those you enjoy hearing from.
Mobile concerns
However, for mobile users, Google is actually removing the ‘block autoplay’ option currently available.
The firm says it’ll make ‘muting’ more reliable, but there’s a chance users may see more autoplaying videos. That could lead to increased data usage.
“These changes will give users greater control over media playing in their browser, while making it easier for publishers to implement autoplay where it benefits the user,” Google added.
Google’s move follows Apple’s actions with its Safari browser in iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
