The Auditory Assault Vector
Modern news websites and social media platforms frequently deploy a highly aggressive engagement tactic: embedding hidden video players that automatically begin blasting audio the millisecond the webpage loads. If you are browsing the internet in a quiet office or a public library, this sudden auditory assault is deeply embarrassing and highly disruptive. You must instruct the browser engine to forcefully intercept and neutralize these media payloads before they can execute.
How to Block Autoplay Videos
While Google Chrome previously possessed a global “Stop Autoplay” switch, Google (as an advertising company) removed it. You must now rely on Chrome’s sound-muting policy to neuter the videos, even if they still technically play silently.
1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the three vertical dots in the extreme top-right corner of the window.
3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
4. In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Privacy and security.
5. In the main pane, click on Site settings.
6. Scroll down to the absolute bottom of the page and click on Additional content settings to expand the hidden menu.
7. Click on Sound.
8. You are now in the master audio control matrix. Under the “Default behavior” section, select the option explicitly labelled: Don’t allow sites to play sound.
The Global Consequence: You have now placed a blanket gag order on the entire internet. Autoplaying videos on news sites will still visually load, but they will be permanently muted. Crucially, this also breaks YouTube and Netflix. To fix this, look directly below the master switch at the “Allowed to play sound” section. Click Add and manually type `[*.]youtube.com` into the whitelist. You must whitelist any site you actually want to hear.