YouTube may disable videos for users having ad blockers, internal test reveals

As reported by The Verge, a YouTube spokesperson said “We’re running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium. Ad blocker detection is not new, and other publishers regularly ask viewers to disable ad blockers.”

Stating that ‘ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service’, Google-owned YouTube said that the affected users will receive ‘repeated notifications’ asking them to allow ads on the platform. 

“In extreme cases, where viewers continue their use of ad blockers, playback will be temporarily disabled,” the company explained.

“Ad blocker detection is not new, and other publishers regularly ask viewers to disable ad blockers,” Google spokesperson Oluwa Falodun told The Verge.

“We take disabling playback very seriously, and will only disable playback if viewers ignore repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube,” the spokesperson stated. “In cases when viewers feel they have been falsely flagged as using an ad blocker, they can share this feedback by clicking on the link in the prompt,” he further added.

In September 2022, YouTube experimented with up to 10 unskippable clicks within a single break ad. In May this year, YouTube announced that 30-second ads were coming to TV platforms. This has irked many YouTube users.

The company offers Premium subscription for its users who wish to experience videos ad-free. In India, YouTube Premium plan is priced at ₹129 onwards.

The latest experiment shows that YouTube is hardening its stance against ad blockers. “We want to inform viewers that ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service, and make it easier for them to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad free experience,” the company said to The Verge.

Updated: 01 Jul 2023, 10:48 AM IST