YouTube gets serious about ad blockers

Ad blockers that previously worked on YouTube are heading to the software farm upstate.

Google has begun a “global effort” to crack down on tools that let users bypass advertising, YouTube Ads communications manager Christopher Lawton told Marketing Brew.

The crackdown, which was first reported by Android Authority, means that video playback may be blocked entirely after three videos if the user does not agree to allow ads. “It looks like you may be using an ad blocker,” reads a message that appears when using an ad blocker and trying to watch videos on the site, The Verge reported. “Video playback is blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled.”

The message goes on to suggest viewers try YouTube Premium, the company’s ad-free subscription service that costs $13.99 a month.

“The use of ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service,” Lawton told Marketing Brew in an emailed statement. “We’ve launched a global effort to urge viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.”

The global crackdown means the company is expanding a test it began running in June.

YouTube has made other efforts to encourage users to watch more ads. Earlier this year, the company revealed 30-second non-skippable ads for TV screens, available for advertisers to purchase through its premium YouTube Select ad inventory.

In true form, there are already YouTube videos showing users how to bypass the ad-blocker blocker.

+1: Google reported revenue of $77 billion last quarter, an uptick of 11% year over year. In that period, YouTube made about $8 billion.