YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users

Enlarge (credit: Google/YouTube)

YouTube has launched a global front against ad-blocking extensions, taking a small experiment it began in June full-scale.

As noticed by Android Authority on Monday morning, some YouTube users are now seeing a disruptive prompt when they try to watch videos while using a browser with an ad blocker. The prompt notes that “ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service” and urges users to either allow ads on YouTube or subscribe to YouTube Premium.

While I was able to still watch YouTube with an ad blocker, there’s recently been a noticeable increase in the number of users who report seeing the prompt. The Verge reported that sometimes those who see the prompt can continue watching videos anyway, but “for one Verge staffer, YouTube now fully blocks them nearly every time.”