YouTube is running an experiment asking some users to disable their ad blockers or pay for a premium subscription, or they will not be allowed to watch videos.
As first spotted by a Reddit user this week, YouTube will display a pop-up warning some users that "ad blockers are not allowed."
"It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide," the message adds.
Upon receiving this notification, users will have two options: either disable their ad blocker to allow YouTube ads or consider subscribing to YouTube Premium to get rid of all advertisements.
As explained in the pop-up, "you can go ad-free with YouTube Premium, and creators can still get paid from your subscription."
A YouTube spokesperson confirmed this experiment and said the company urges viewers to try YouTube Premium or allow ads on the platform.
"We're running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium," the spokesperson told BleepingComputer.
"Ad blocker detection is not new, and other publishers regularly ask viewers to disable ad blockers."
It's currently unknown across how many regions YouTube is displaying these warnings or if the company plans to stop those using ad blockers from accessing the platform altogether.
This comes after YouTube's Music and Premium services surpassed 80 million subscribers in November 2022, adding more than 30 million within a little over a year, according to a Variety report,
Prodding users towards YouTube Premium will definitely help maintain this accelerated membership growth rate.
Making ads increasingly longer during the last several years and making some unskippable will also likely push some viewers towards signing up for an ad-free experience via YouTube Premium on platforms where ad blocking is impossible or rooting the device (e.g., iOS, some TV OSs).
As one Redditor said, "It wouldn't be so bad if there weren't 2 minutes unstoppable ads, and multiple ads before the video, ads interrupting the video, rendering the videos useless!!!"
Comments
64core - 1 year ago
Good luck with that YouTube! If you were not greedy to put millions of ads for a 1 minute video, people would not think about using ad-blockers. I rather not watch whatever the video is than paying you. Instead of saying "creators can still get paid from your subscription" just say that we want more profit and your request would sound more believable.
By the way, I hate subscriptions. We are not rich to subscribe for everything.
johnlsenchak - 1 year ago
I blocked about 3.6 million Youtube ads so far . and that would include inline sponsor ads and those real annoying end boards .
sun-devil1999 - 1 year ago
Other than ad-free I see no benefits (for my use) for YT Premium. I don't use a mobile device to access YouTube which seems to be what Premium is geared towards. Perhaps they offer an ad-free only version of 'premium' for $20 a year I'd be fine. If they go through with denying access to folks with ad-blockers many users are simply going to abandon YouTube than allow ads
Random_Pirate - 1 year ago
Remember kids, hoist the flag!
WieMe - 1 year ago
YouTube will lose more folks than it gains with this harebrained scheme.
Thatoneguyis - 1 year ago
UBlock will find a way to bypass this. If not then I'll go somewhere else.
spacelizard - 1 year ago
I wonder if something like Pi-Hole will still work
iam-py-test - 1 year ago
YouTube ads can not be blocked at the DNS level without breaking things (i.e. with Pi-Hole); you need some kind of browser-based blocker
WhyYouLoveMe - 1 year ago
Nope, YouTube. I see more alternatives popping up in 3...2...1...
tech_engineer - 1 year ago
I once wanted to pay for YT Premium to get special features on the YT app for the AndroidOS, except that it is not available where I live, and they didn't want my money... then I discovered vanced and later revanced...
DyingCrow - 1 year ago
There goes the golden age of being a youtuber. I can easily see a cascade failure when this goes up live.
GT500 - 1 year ago
How quickly did the adblock detection get bypassed?
Seriously, they already have anti-adblock lists for ad blockers. If they haven't already, they'll find a way to block this too and keep YouTube from detecting an ad blocker. If Google breaks that in Chromium somehow, then you'll see a lot of people switch to other browsers.
iam-py-test - 1 year ago
" If Google breaks that in Chromium somehow, then you'll see a lot of people switch to other browsers."
They are already kind-of doing that with a change to browser extensions called Manifest Version 3. It doesn't completely kill content blockers, but it does limit what they can do.
GT500 - 1 year ago
"They are already kind-of doing that with a change to browser extensions called Manifest Version 3. It doesn't completely kill content blockers, but it does limit what they can do."
Yeah, some browsers have built-in ad blockers, and have made a commitment to trying to keep those working even after the switch. Vivaldi's for instance has slowly gotten better since its introduction, and actually seems to mostly work now.
I also have a feeling that this might drive sales of premium ad blocking products that function outside the browser, such as AdGuard and DNS blocking services. We'll probably also see a resurgence of HOSTS file blocking, although I'm sure Google and others will try to make it impossible for domain name blocking to prevent ads from loading.
SuperSapien64 - 1 year ago
Hmm I hope your right GT500. But if all else fails then there's Odysee or Rumble I guess.
mikeloeven - 1 year ago
The Ublock Origin guys are gonna have this disarmed before it even gets rolled out on a large scale...
poser1 - 1 year ago
For me, ad blocking is nonnegotiable. They tell me I can't view content if I block their ads, then I try every ad blocker detector detector. If need be, I even learn how to write the macros myself. But one thing, I assure you: if at the end of the day I find no solution, then I accept this outcome as meaning that I won't be viewing their content—until someone smarter than I comes up with a solution, that is. One outcome that cannot happen, as it is antithetical to my very being, is that I start tolerating ads.
dncarac - 1 year ago
Any site that requires that I turn the ad blocker off is a site that desparately requires an ad blocker! If I can't skip the anti block, I figure I don't really need to see that site
MulletMan - 1 year ago
The ads are horrible completely ruin the experience. I will use adblockers as long as possible, also can use android apps like Newpipe, skytube, libreTube to watch videos without ads. Now if all these methods get destroyed I will stop using Youtube all together. For Liberty and no ads.
DollarShort - 8 months ago
Anyone still experiencing this issue using Adblock for Chrome, I have resolved this on my PC by doing the following:
1.) Open Extensions by clicking the puzzle piece in the top right corner
2.) Click on the hamburger menu next to the Adblock extension
3.) Select Options
4.) Under the General tab, disable "Allow non-intrusive advertising" and "Allow ads on specific Youtube channels"
5.) Under the Filter lists tab, disable acceptable ads and ignore the warning dialog box. Then enable "Anti Circumvention measures" and "Easylist", as well as the options for "Adblock warning removal list" and "Easyprivacy".
6.) Under the Customize tab, go to Manually edit your filters, click edit and add the following:
www.youtube.com##UL[id="body"][class="style-scope ytd-enforcement-message-view-model"]
www.youtube.com##DIV[id="title"][class="style-scope ytd-enforcement-message-view-model"]
www.youtube.com##DIV[id="container"][class="style-scope ytd-enforcement-message-view-model"]
www.youtube.com##TP-YT-PAPER-DIALOG[class="style-scope ytd-popup-container"]
Done! Enjoy Youtube ad free again!
thisismike - 2 months ago
Ad blockers are so sketchy, sometimes they work and most times they don’t. I use skipvids.com to watch youtube. It’s obviously not as good as the actual youtube site/app, but its better than watching a load of ads and it has background playback.