Ad blocker extensions have already been removed from YouTube, and now mobile users will also have difficulty seeing ad-free videos.
YouTube launched a campaign last year against online ad blockers, and it has now launched an initiative to counter third-party blocker applications as well. YouTube had previously stated that the goal of the policy is to encourage more users to subscribe to the site so that the business can compensate content creators for their work and output.
Since YouTube now limits its use on browsers, these changes have already caused problems for ad blocking businesses, who have reportedly seen thousands of customers quit the apps. The majority of users who have stopped using ad blockers have been accessing YouTube through the Chrome browser. YouTube says that subscribing to its Premium service is the best method to prevent viewing advertisements in between videos. As with most mobile apps, YouTube is restricting those who make use of its API to provide consumers with ad-free video content.
When YouTube first launched the study, it had a three-strike policy for videos. This gave users plenty of time to stop using ad blockers and allow advertisements to appear on all videos on their profile, if they still wanted to use YouTube for free. Using an ad blocker, we independently tested this theory on YouTube to check if the videos would stop playing. Instead, we noticed a message flash on the user interface warning users to immediately upgrade their free YouTube plan.
Those who have been using the platform ad-free for years would undoubtedly become quite suspicious and angry if there are any disruptions for mobile users.
Again, according to YouTube, you may use the same account across different devices to go ad-free if you choose to subscribe to the Premium plan. Additionally, there is the YouTube Premium family option, which provides up to five individuals in a home with background playback and ad-free YouTube.
Antitrust regulators are expected to look into the platform, and we expect YouTube to deal with these accusations in some way.