YouTube Blocks Use of Ad Blockers Permanently; Terms of Service
Updated

YouTube has steadily been increasing its anti-ad blocker stance for a while now. While the company was
giving a limited number of tries to users with ad blockers, it seems things have now changed. The company has
now started to fully block ad blockers around the world. This is an interesting change that affects everyone.
This also means a lot of things for users without YouTube Premium. Let’s talk about it.

YouTube Prohibits Use of Ad Blockers Permanently

As mentioned, it was previously speculated that YouTube was simply issuing warnings to a few people for using
ad blockers. However, in a statement issued to The Verge, the company has confirmed that it has “launched a
global effort” to crack down on ad blockers. This essentially means that YouTube will block video playback for
any user who has an ad blocker enabled.

This clear stance from the company indicates that it is no longer lenient and is strictly enforcing its terms
of service. If users attempt to view videos with an active ad blocker, they will be presented with an image
stating that “Ad Blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service.”

This crackdown on ad blockers by YouTube has been a long time coming, as the company has consistently taken
steps to combat the use of ad blockers. These measures include introducing unskippable ads and stacking
multiple ads together.

Short of completely refraining from watching YouTube, the most viable alternative now is to purchase a Premium
subscription. YouTube has even added a premium bitrate option for its exclusive users. So, compared to simply
using an ad-blocker, the video-watching experience on YouTube Premium will be superior. Furthermore, paying
for YouTube Premium allows users to support their favorite creators.

This unfortunate development signals the end of an era when users could freely watch YouTube videos without
encountering ads. It would not be surprising if, in the near future, everyone is compelled to subscribe to
YouTube Premium in order to access content.

What are your thoughts on YouTube’s decision to ban ad-blockers? Do you plan to purchase YouTube Premium after
this change? Let us know in the comments below.