Google-owned YouTube is getting serious about blocking ad blockers. The company has confirmed that it is expanding its efforts to crack down on ad blockers globally.
The video-sharing platform has launched this “global effort” to push users towards YouTube Premium subscription or to encourage them to allow ads, YouTube communications manager Christopher Lawton said in a statement to The Verge.
Also read: YouTube debuts new playback controls, You tab, animated subscribe button & more
If you encounter a block on YouTube, you might receive a message that says, “video playback is blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled.”
Also read: Edit videos on your mobile phone using the YouTube Create App
The notice also has a prompt to enable ads or consider using YouTube Premium. Sometimes, you’ll receive messages about YouTube’s stance on ad blockers, but you may still be able to watch a video. However, for one Verge employee, YouTube now fully blocks them from watching videos.
In June, YouTube confirmed that it was disabling videos for users who were using ad blockers. However, at that time, it was described as a “small global experiment.” Now, YouTube has expanded this initiative.
Lawton emphasised that the “use of ad blockers” violates the company’s terms of service, and said that “ads support a diverse ecosystem of creators globally and allow billions to access their favourite content on YouTube.”
Recently, YouTube introduced new features for better user experience. The new features include a stable volume option, the ability to easily increase the playback speed to 2x, the ability to search by voice, animated subscribe and like buttons, and much more.
Also, YouTube announced that the Library tab and account page have been merged into a new home called You tab. In this tab, you can find your previously watched videos, playlists, downloads and purchases, as well as your account-related settings and channel information.
