A community-made filter for uBlock Origin now blocks autoplay videos on TechCrunch, addressing a persistent pain point for readers. The solution surfaced in a Hacker News discussion that gained 105 points and 33 comments, highlighting widespread frustration with the site's video behavior.
Tool: uBlock Origin Filter | Target: TechCrunch.com | Function: Blocks autoplay video elements | License: Public domain filter list
How the Filter Works Technically
The filter uses uBlock Origin's cosmetic filtering capability to target and hide the specific HTML elements that contain the autoplay video players on TechCrunch article pages. It doesn't block network requests for the video files themselves but prevents the player from rendering.
The rule techcrunch.com##.c-videoPlayer instructs the extension to find elements with the class c-videoPlayer on the techcrunch.com domain and remove them from the page layout. This is a surgical approach that leaves the rest of the site's functionality intact.
Performance and Effectiveness
In testing, the filter eliminates the video player entirely from the article layout. The page loads without the video container, removing both the autoplay function and the placeholder that prompts a click-to-play.
The impact on page load performance is negligible, as the filter acts on the rendered Document Object Model (DOM). Network requests for the video assets may still be initiated by the site's scripts, but the visual interruption and auto-playing media are stopped.
| Feature | uBlock Custom Filter | Browser Autoplay Setting | Generic Ad Blocker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blocks TechCrunch Video | Yes | Partial | No |
| Granularity | Site-specific | Global, site-level | Not applicable |
| Impact on Other Sites | None | All sites | Varies |
| Setup Complexity | One-time paste | Built-in toggle | Installed |
How to Implement the Filter
Adding the filter requires uBlock Origin, the open-source browser extension with over 100 million users. The process takes under 30 seconds.
- Click the uBlock Origin extension icon in your browser toolbar.
- Click the dashboard (gear) icon to open the settings panel.
- Navigate to the "My filters" tab.
- Paste the following line into the text area:
techcrunch.com##.c-videoPlayer - Click "Apply changes" in the top-right corner.
The change takes effect immediately upon refreshing any open TechCrunch tab. No browser restart is needed.
"Verifying the filter is active"
You can confirm the filter is working on a TechCrunch article page by opening the uBlock Origin logger (click extension icon > 🪵 icon). Filter hits will appear when the page loads. Alternatively, right-click where the video player was, select "Inspect," and check if the div with class c-videoPlayer is greyed out with a display: none style applied.
Pros and Cons of This Approach
The primary advantage is surgical precision. The filter solves one problem on one site without affecting any other browsing behavior. It requires no complex configuration.
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Pros:
- Zero performance overhead from a processing perspective.
- Persistent solution that survives browser updates, unlike temporary script blockers.
- Community-maintained; if TechCrunch changes its HTML, the filter list will likely be updated by users.
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Cons:
- uBlock Origin dependent; the filter does nothing without the extension installed.
- Reactive measure; it addresses the symptom (the video player) not the network request.
- Single-site focus; other sites with autoplay require separate filters.
Alternatives and Comparisons
The most common alternative is the built-in browser autoplay setting (e.g., in Chrome's site settings). This can block autoplay sound site-wide for TechCrunch but often leaves the video player visible as a static, clickable element. It's a broader, less precise tool.
Browser extensions like NoScript or uMatrix offer more powerful control by blocking JavaScript, which would prevent the video player from loading at all. However, they break significant site functionality and require constant user intervention, representing a high-overhead solution for a single annoyance.
Bottom line: The custom filter is the most targeted, low-friction fix specifically for TechCrunch's video implementation.
Who Should Use This Filter
This filter is immediately useful for regular TechCrunch readers who find the autoplay video disruptive to reading focus. It's ideal for professionals who scan multiple articles daily and need a clean, predictable layout.
Developers and technical writers studying site design may also use it to analyze TechCrunch's content layout without the dynamic element interference. The filter serves as a practical case study in using cosmetic filters for user experience customization.
Skip this if you don't visit TechCrunch, or if you already employ a broader JavaScript-blocking strategy that neuters the videos. Users who prefer to allow site revenue streams from video ads might also avoid this method.
The Bottom Line on User Agency
The creation and sharing of this filter underscore a key dynamic in modern web browsing: sophisticated users will actively engineer solutions to reclaim their browsing experience. TechCrunch's autoplay video, likely a metric-driven engagement play, generated enough friction to spur a technical countermeasure.
The Hacker News discussion reveals this isn't about avoiding all video content, but about controlling the user interface. Commenters expressed willingness to click play but objected to the automatic playback that disrupts reading flow in shared office spaces or quiet environments.
This filter is a minor but definitive victory for user-configurable software. It demonstrates how extensible tools like uBlock Origin enable individuals to tailor the web to their preferences, one cosmetic filter at a time.
The trend is clear: as sites deploy increasingly aggressive engagement features, the tools to disable them will continue evolving in parallel, often in open-source communities.
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