YouTube warns it might make your viewing experience worse if you don’t turn off your ad-blocker

November 22, 2023 in News by RBN Staff

 

Source: Business Insider

  • A YouTube spokesperson said that using ad blockers could lead to a “suboptimal viewing” experience.
  • Some users have also reported delays if they aren’t on Google Chrome as their browser.
  • Users may be unable to watch videos unless they disable their ad blockers or buy YouTube Premium.

 

 

YouTube’s battle with ad blockers is heating up. The platform is now warning loud and clear that using ad blockers could put a damper on your viewing experience in its broader effort to boost ad revenue and subscriptions to its paid tier.

YouTube said in a statement to Business Insider that it is encouraging viewers to forgo ad blockers and either allow ads or subscribe to YouTube Premium, which would get rid of ads entirely. Furthermore, those who do use ad blockers might have a less-than-stellar watching experience.

“Ads are a vital lifeline for our creators that helps them run and grow their businesses. That’s why the use of ad blockers violates YouTube’s Terms of Service,” a YouTube spokesperson told Business Insider. “We’ve been urging users for some time to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.”

YouTube appeared to confirm reports that people with ad-blockers installed were experiencing a multi-second delay before being able to watch a video. The Android-based news website Android Authority reported that people who weren’t using Chrome noticed the delays, citing Reddit users who said they’ve experienced this delay while using browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. However, Google told Insider the delays were being seen across all browsers with ad-blockers installed.

According to YouTube, the platform’s ad blocker detection doesn’t target specific browsers, and delays across all browsers have been reported. Users who still have ad blockers, however, will continue to have a substandard watching experience.

“In the past week, users using ad blockers may have experienced suboptimal viewing, which included delays in loading, regardless of the browser they are using. Users who have uninstalled their ad blockers may still experience a temporary delay in loading, and should try refreshing their browser,” a YouTube spokesperson told Business Insider.

YouTube has lately begun to fight more harshly against ad blockers. In June 2023, it began preventing users with ad blockers turned on from watching videos and reportedly experimented with pop-up warnings. If users ignore these warnings for three videos, they’ll no longer be allowed to watch videos until they turn off the ad blockers, according to Android Authority.

More recently, X users began complaining and sharing screenshots of YouTube pop-ups warning them to not use ad blockers. They also said that YouTube wouldn’t play a video until the ad blocker was disabled or the user purchased a YouTube Premium subscription, which starts at $13.99 a month.