YouTube may block ad blockers
Ads make huge portions of the internet free to use while still letting creators be supported by those ads. However, there are ad blockers out there, and YouTube is now testing blocking users who have an ad blocker enabled.
A Redditor first spotted earlier this week that, on trying to use YouTube.com, a pop-up appeared saying that ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube. Videos were blocked from streaming unless the user then allowed YouTube ads or signed up for YouTube Premium, the subscription service that allows users to watch content on YouTube without ads.
It’s a surprising message to see, given that YouTube hasn’t addressed ad blockers for years and years now. The message adds that “ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide.”
A YouTube employee has since confirmed to the r/YouTube moderation team that, for now, this is just an “experiment.” For now, YouTube is only testing blocking ad blockers.
Really, it’s easy to see why YouTube might enact such a rule. Ad blockers strip away the income generated from videos which pays for the ever-increasing storage and bandwidth needs of that content. But, at the same time, the user frustration is also pretty clear. YouTube has been escalating its ad load tremendously in recent years, and YouTube Premium isn’t particularly affordable for occasional viewers at $10/month.
Source: 9to5Google
