[Updated] Is YouTube planning to block Ad blockers? Here's what we know so far

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on May 10, 2023) follows:

YouTube is currently the most popular video platform worldwide. One of its main sources of income is the ads that appear before and/or while playing videos.

Those who want an ad-free experience with additional options can pay for the YouTube Premium monthly subscription. However, there are also third-party tools (like Ad blockers) and apps that remove ads for free.

However, recent developments suggest that YouTube is planning to block or ban Ad blockers from the platform.

The ‘ban’ of Ad blockers on YouTube could be part of a new strategy to directly attack those tools that interfere with its income sources.

In recent weeks, we have seen how they made a backend change that sought to end YouTube Vanced, the alternative app that offers YouTube Premium options for free.

So, the possible blocking of Ad blockers would just be another move in the strategy. The matter arose on Reddit, where a user shared a screenshot of a new notice that was not there before.

According to the report, the notice warns that Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube. This suggests that if enabled, users will not be able to continue using the service while they have an active ad blocker.

The prompt has two options to continue watching videos: deactivate the Ad blocker or pay for YouTube Premium. There is also an option to report a problem if the message appears without using Ad blockers.

Of course, this new development did not go unnoticed by users. Many are concerned that the measure will likely be implemented, even suggesting that they will leave the platform if that happens.

If youtube start blocking adblockers, I’m moving off of youtube.

I have no idea what else I’d move to, but I’m willing to find entertainment elsewhere other than youtube if I must.
Source

Will YouTube start locking you out of the site if you have an ad-blocker? I’m getting increasingly worried.
Source

It’s noteworthy that the possibility arises at a time when users have been reporting an exaggerated amount of ads on the platform. So, the timing seems quite inopportune.

The amount of ads is insane

I’m trying to listen to a video or rain to help me sleep. I’m 12 minutes in. There have been 2 non skippable ads at the beginning, 1 ad at around the three minute mark, at around 6:30, another at 9:57 and one at 12:24. That’s 6 ads in 12 minutes. 1 ad every 2 minutes.
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As of today, it is unknown if and when YouTube will implement this measure, but at least for now it can be bypassed. However, the fact that the company could be considering something like this is concerning for many users.

We will update this story as events unfold in the future.

01:43 pm (IST): A YouTube employee has reportedly confirmed that they are experimenting a new change to block ad-blockers.

05:26 pm (IST): It seems that Youtube is A/B testing a new way of stopping users from using ad blockers on the platform.

Some users are reporting that they are getting a message that says ‘Video player will be blocked after 3 videos’ when an ad blocker is active.

And users are unable to watch more content shortly after viewing the 3rd video unless they allow ads on the platform or get the YouTube Premium subscription.

01:41 pm (IST): YouTube is planning on making its ad-blocking policy more strict as they test new countdown timer for ad-block warnings. More on that here.

Moreover, users have started to see the new timer in the top right corner of the popup.

12:54 pm (IST): Increased number of reports (1, 2, 3, 4) suggest that YouTube is now rolling out the restriction to a wider audience now.

10:47 pm (IST): A recent ‘Enjoy YouTube without Ads!’ pop-up has been reported by certain users (1,2,3,4,5). This notification is even visible to users with ad blockers.

As per one of the Redditors, people are seeing this notification owing to a compromised extension (Adblock for Youtube™). So, those who are seeing it can try removing this extension immediately.

The compromised extension responsible for those fake ads is this one: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adblock-for-youtube/cmedhionkhpnakcndndgjdbohmhepckk
. I’d recommend removing it ASAP.
Source

11:20 am (IST): More users are now reporting that they are unable to watch videos when the adblocker is enabled. So, it seems that the restriction is now widely rolling out.

04:50 pm (IST): The frustration caused by the recent anti-AdBlock that YouTube has been running in recent months is escalating to new levels. There are users like That Privacy Guy (alexanderhanff on X/Twitter) who filed a complaint against YouTube in Europe with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC).

The complaint alleges that the AdBlock detection practices that YouTube is implementing could be against EU laws because they were deployed without consent. The user cites Article 5(3) of 2002/58/EC as the basis of their complaint.

In subsequent posts, Alexanderhanff recommends other users do the same, pointing out that it would take around 10,000 complaints for the DPC to act quickly. Complaints can be submitted from this link, and take no more than 5-10 minutes. To make things easier for those who want to help, Alexanderhanff published their own filed complaint to use as a guide. You can check it here.

06:30 pm (IST): Evidently, YouTube’s efforts to counter ad-block usage are now affecting a broader user base, with an increasing number of individuals encountering a concerning issue. They are coming across YouTube advertisements that feature hazardous and misleading content, potentially exposing viewers to scams that pose significant risks.

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