YouTube has initiated a global crackdown on the use of ad-blockers, issuing warnings about violations of its terms of service.
In some instances, the company is restricting access to additional videos for users unless they deactivate their ad-blockers.
Starting in June, the video streaming giant began testing a new approach, alerting users with a message that their video player would be blocked following the viewing of three videos if the ad-blocker remained active.
YouTube has now confirmed to The Verge that it is escalating its efforts worldwide, encouraging users to either subscribe to YouTube Premium or enable ads.
Prior to this development, Android Authority reported that numerous users shared their experiences on the r/YouTube subreddit, detailing the various warnings they encountered regarding the use of ad-blockers.
Reddit users also pointed out the irony of YouTube’s campaign against ad-blockers, highlighting the presence of numerous ads promoting ad-blockers on the platform itself.
We have reached out to YouTube for additional information on the specific restrictions being imposed on ad-blockers, and we will provide updates to this story as they become available.
As of last year, YouTube reported having 80 million paid subscribers across its Music and Premium tiers. Google, YouTube’s parent company, has been exploring various strategies to increase this number.
For example, they conducted tests that required users to pay for access to 4K video quality or endure multiple unskippable ads for an uninterrupted viewing experience.
In May, the platform introduced 30-second unskippable ads to its TV interface and began testing longer, yet fewer ads for longer content in September. Furthermore, in July, YouTube increased the monthly cost of its Premium subscription for individuals by $2.
