YouTube is taking a stance against the use of ad blockers to circumvent advertising content on its platform. A spokesperson for the Google-owned video-sharing service recently told Insider that YouTube has launched a global campaign urging viewers who use ad blockers to either enable ads on the site or try its premium (paid) ad-free experience.
The spokesperson noted: "Using ad blockers on YouTube violates the site's terms of service. Ads support a diverse ecosystem of creators around the world and enable billions of people to access the content they love on YouTube."
YouTube began limiting video views for ad-blocking users back in June, and as part of a limited experiment, some users received a prompt informing them that the video player would be blocked after three videos if they didn't disable the blocker or sign up for YouTube Premium.
At the time, YouTube Premium, a subscription-based ad-free experience, cost $11.99. But this summer, YouTube quietly increased its membership price by nearly 17%, to $13.99 per month, and $139.99 for the year (equivalent to about $11.66 per month).
Affected users have become increasingly vocal about the change on social media platforms such as X and Reddit, with some users sharing tips on how to bypass YouTube ad blocker detection using various browser extensions and other tweaks. Others are adamant that complying with YouTube's wishes will result in a permanent ban on ad blockers.
Combating ad blockers is a viable way for Google/YouTube to increase ad revenue. Is it possible they're losing some viewers because of their stance on ad blocking? It's certainly possible, but more likely, overall revenue will increase as some existing ad-blocking users will undoubtedly choose to whitelist the site rather than lose access entirely. Others may also want to support YouTube with a premium subscription and continue to enjoy an ad-free experience. Plus, even if some users stop using YouTube, there will be no loss of revenue because those users won't be watching ads anyway.