YouTube isn’t happy that some people are looking for ways to skip ads. This truth has come to light in the middle of this year when the video platform launches a strategy that encourages users to disable ad blockers or, if that fails, pay for premium.
It first started showing a notification saying “ad blockers are not allowed,” and then another warning popped up saying the video player would stop working after three uses. It should be noted that these two measures are part of a “global experiment”. Now this situation has started to change.
YouTube is getting serious about ad blockers
The number of YouTube users using ad blockers has increased steadily in the past week They started sharing on X (formerly Twitter) Screenshots There are clear notifications against these browser add-ons from various platforms. And as we’ll see below, this didn’t seem like a random scenario.
A spokesperson told Insider that YouTube has launched “a global effort to encourage viewers who have ad blockers enabled to allow ads or try YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.” These revelations came almost at the same time as an Adblock post on the subject.
It’s unclear at this time whether YouTube’s experiment is just a test or whether the platform is ultimately implementing this measure. global community. In any case, YouTube’s support page provides some clarity on the company’s stance on ad blockers.
“When you block YouTube ads, you violate YouTube’s Terms of Service,” the page reads. In this sense, they add, “if you use an ad blocker, we will ask you to allow ads on YouTube or sign up for YouTube Premium.” But this does not end, there is more.
“If you continue to use ad blockers, we may block your video from playing. To avoid interruption, Allows ads on YouTube or sign up for YouTube Premium,” the text concludes. As we can see, YouTube is taking a firmer stance than we’ve seen so far.
It should also be noted that these developments emerged at a time when some users were complaining about the increase in video ads (even unskippable ones) on the platform. On the other hand, the increasing popularity of Shorts may also be negative for the company’s advertising revenue.
Images: YouTube | Screenshots | Alexander Shatov
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