YouTube begins global crackdown on adblockers
YouTube, the popular video-sharing platform, has begun enforcing a stricter policy against users with adblockers, in which video playback is being blocked unless the adblocker is disabled. While the policy was first addressed by YouTube in June this year, a recent report by The Verge states that YouTube has recently "launched a global effort" to discourage the use of adblockers and have users subscribe to YouTube Premium.
In the past few days, users worldwide have been complaining that when trying to access a YouTube video with an adblocker extension enabled, a popup appears that says: "Ad blockers violate YouTube's Terms of Service". In the pop-up notification, YouTube specifies that ads allow the platform to be used by billions worldwide and that users can opt to go ad-free with YouTube Premium. Video playback is made inaccessible unless the user either subscribes to YouTube Premium or disables the adblocker and allows YouTube ads.
It is worth noting that ads allow YouTube creators to get paid by the platform. However, with a premium subscription to the platform, monetised creators running ads on their videos can still get paid by YouTube.
On the other side of the spectrum, users who have been using ad-free YouTube for years have been vocal about YouTube's recent strictness, with some even threatening to boycott the service. A lot of these complains can be found on r/YouTube on Reddit and other popular social media platforms.
A common cause for concern for users is the 'forced' option to fork $14 to subscribe to YouTube Premium, states a report by Android Authority on the issue. When browsing through the r/YouTube subreddit, it can be found that users are also worried about YouTube ads being intrusive, loud, and often excessive in quality; as well as being concerned about losing the reliance and safety provided by adblockers.
In August this year, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music were made officially available in Bangladesh, with the premium subscription costing BDT 239 per month.