YouTube is working on disrupting video playback for viewers using ad blockers. In an email to The Verge, the company confirmed that it is running “a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium.”
YouTube wants people to stop using ad blockers or pay if they do not want to see ads. YouTube Premium removes ad from videos and provide offline downloads and access to YouTube Music Premium. The service costs $11.99 monthly or $119.99 annually. The company disclosed that more than 80 million subscribers are on YouTube Premium and YouTube Music combined as of last year in November.
Some users are getting a new prompt warning that video playback will stop if YouTube detects repeated use of ad blockers. A test detected by Android Authority shows that viewers using ad blockers are restricted to watching only three videos. The prompt tells viewers, “It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Video playback will be blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled.”
“We take disabling playback very seriously, and will only disable playback if viewers ignore repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube,” Google spokesperson Oluwa Falodun told The Verge by email. “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.” Google also clarifies that ads are crucial for the platform’s sustainability and creators. “YouTube’s ad-supported model supports a diverse ecosystem of creators, and provides billions of people globally access to content for free with ads,” the company’s statement says.
YouTube has been experimenting with how it shows ads on videos. Last September, the company tested showing up to 10 unskippable clips in one ad break and announced in May that it was bringing 30-second ads to TV platforms.
“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 email reads.
