Has YouTube simply been trolling people with its popup warnings that ask users to turn off their ad blockers and watch ads or pay for a YouTube Premium subscription? Sadly, it doesn’t appear that way, as the company has now confirmed that it really does hate ad blockers and will be broadening its fight against uBlock and similar extensions, having told The Verge on Halloween yesterday that it is launching a “global effort” to get viewers to stop what is apparently a violation of the platform’s terms of service. According to one of the publication’s staffers, some users aren’t even seeing the option to click away from the popup anymore, while r/YouTube is continuing its meltdown, with some users pointing out that even the FBI says ad blockers are a good thing. YouTube Premium is currently available with a one-month free trial, but those who want to keep its perks, including, the official ad-free experience, will need to pay $13.99/month.
If you run into YouTube’s block, you may see a notice that says “video playback is blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled.” It also includes a prompt to allow ads or try YouTube Premium. You may get prompts about YouTube’s stance on ad blockers but still be able to watch a video, though, for one Verge staffer, YouTube now fully blocks them nearly every time.
Ads on YouTube help support the creators you love and let billions of people around the world use the streaming service. When you block YouTube ads, you violate YouTube’s Terms of Service. If you use ad blockers, we’ll ask you to allow ads on YouTube or sign up for YouTube Premium. If you continue to use ad blockers, we may block your video playback. To avoid the interruption, allow ads on YouTube or sign up for YouTube Premium.
