YouTube is currently running what it describes as a "small experiment globally," warning users to toggle off their ad blockers and avoid being limited to only three video views.
As first spotted by a Reddit user on Wednesday, YouTube now displays a pop-up that notifies ad blocker users targeted by this test that "video player will be blocked after 3 videos."
"It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Video playback will be blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled," the message adds.
"Ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide. You can go ad-free with YouTube Premium, and creators can still get paid from your subscription."
After receiving this warning, YouTube users will have only two options: to disable their ad blocker and allow ads or subscribe to YouTube Premium to get rid of all advertisements.
YouTube confirmed the alerts are part of an experiment and said the company urges viewers to allow ads on the platform or try YouTube Premium.
"We're running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium," YouTube told BleepingComputer.
When asked if the company plans to block users from accessing the platform if they're using ad blockers, YouTube said that playback might be temporarily disabled in "extreme cases."
"In extreme cases, where viewers continue their use of ad blockers, playback will be temporarily disabled. We take disabling playback very seriously, and will only disable playback if viewers ignore repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube," the company said.
"To prevent disruption as part of this experiment, viewers using ad blockers may disable their ad blocker, allow YouTube ads or subscribe to YouTube Premium."
YouTube didn't share how many and what regions are involved in this experiment and are seeing these warnings.
This follows another "small experiment" in May, when YouTube tested directly blocking ad blocker users from accessing the platform.
"Ad blocker detection is not new, and other publishers regularly ask viewers to disable ad blockers," a spokesperson told BleepingComputer at the time.
YouTube's Music and Premium services have recently surpassed 80 million subscribers, adding over 30 million within a single year, according to Variety.
Comments
GT500 - 1 year ago
The war on adblock continues...
xafase - 1 year ago
First Reddit. Now YouTube.
Soon there isn't going to be anything on the web but ads.
doncoyote - 1 year ago
I am being conditioned to not use specific websites any longer.
EndangeredPootisBird - 1 year ago
Just use third party clients (as long as they last.)
whodat54321d - 1 year ago
Brave browser plus VPN (i use surfshark's clean web option). This works well in Windows and iOS. You're welcome.
EndangeredPootisBird - 1 year ago
Why bother with Surfshark? It doesn''t do anything that free services already do.
johnlsenchak - 1 year ago
4.023 Million Youtube ad's blocked !!! LOL
spacelizard - 1 year ago
Between all the rule changes, AI-automated channel removals, and demonitization of videos without review I am surprised people still put things out on YouTube.
I_Rogue - 1 year ago
Maybe, just MAYBE if they didn't inundate you with the ads every 5 minutes (trying to watch music related videos are the worst) I could live with them. They have gone beyond reasonable in the ads frequency and now with some (I'm looking at you lady with diabetes peddling me pharma) that go for over a minute without the ability to skip.
warwagon - 1 year ago
"Maybe, just MAYBE if they didn't inundate you with the ads every 5 minutes (trying to watch music related videos are the worst) I could live with them. They have gone beyond reasonable in the ads frequency and now with some (I'm looking at you lady with diabetes peddling me pharma) that go for over a minute without the ability to skip."
You hit the nail on the head. Years ago I was just fine with watching Youtube on the Roku without blocking ads. I would gladly watch a 15-second ad before the start of a video. But then came the mid-rolls and then 5 ads in 10 min clip. That was the breaking point.
danwat1234 - 11 months ago
So... use Newpipe app or Youtube Vanced or Ublock Origin or Pi-hole implementation. Hard to believe Google will be effective
TsofT - 11 months ago
Do they actually believe that someone who goes out of their way to block ads is going to buy something from an ad?
Of course not, they know ads don't work and they're just fleecing the advertisers. Why are the advertisers ok with that?
Whenever I have to use someone's system that doesn't have ad blocking I am stunned at the insane ads everywhere. The whole thing is unusable. People are conditioned to think this is normal.
As a pre-VCR kid when it was impossible to skip ads I used to actively avoid asking for or buying any toys that were advertised to the point of annoyance.
Zer0kbps - 11 months ago
I could live the ADs if they weren’t bullshit pyramid scams or other get rich bullshit. Yt has nothing but shady ads, they must improve the quality standards of the advertising if they push it down our throats.
DrkKnight - 11 months ago
People complain, complain and complain but the bottom line is people still use it so it continues, so Youtube does it because they can. There are alternatives to YouTube and without ads.
The best way you can get a companies attention is by hitting them in the pocket, when the clicks stop coming they start losing money , when that happens they have no other choice than to rethink their advertising strategy.
I am not turning off my ad blocker or whitelisting YouTube on my ad blocker to watch a video that 99.9% of the time I can watch elsewhere without having to disable my blocker and in the event I MUST get it from YT , I use a downloader to download the video, I get it without ads and delete it when I am done with it.
Lastcomment - 10 months ago
this article and these comments are just like all the other ones missing the point , because who is getting blocked , well only the ones with an account , if you log out and just watch You Tube everything is fine , no warning , no video blocking , so the only people who can`t watch You Tube with adblockers are the ones who might comment on a video , so this is not about money , this is about censorship , wake up already and see how the communist is hiding behind the "profit" to take your rights away , because it is sure interesting that I am blocked with my conservative comments , but my 7 years old , and my 15 years old are not , we all use the same adblocker on our Pc , the only difference between the three accounts is that I comment , and they do not , so again , this is a targeted censorship and not a financial decision