YouTube's Crackdown Prompts Thousands of Users to Delete Ad Blockers

YouTube's recent measures against ad blockers are resonating across the platform. Several ad blocking applications reported a surge in users uninstalling their products since YouTube started displaying warnings to users trying to watch videos with ad blockers activated, according to Wired.

YouTube New Measures Impacted Ad Blocking Companies

AdGuard, one of these companies, disclosed to Wired that over 11,000 individuals had removed its Chrome extension daily since October 9, in contrast to 6,000 uninstallations per day before YouTube implemented the change.

On October 18 alone, AdGuard witnessed 52,000 uninstalls, according to the company's CTO, Andrey Meshkov. Notably, installations of AdGuard's paid version, unaffected by YouTube's crackdown, have seen an increase.

Ghostery, another ad blocking company, reported that its usage remained steady in October. They experienced three to five times the daily number of installations and uninstalls. Interestingly, over 90 percent of surveyed users who uninstalled the product stated it was because the tool no longer functioned with YouTube.

As YouTube's measures seem to impact Chrome users on computers primarily, some individuals sought to employ alternative browsers as a solution. Ghostery informed Wired that installations of Microsoft's Edge browser saw a 30 percent increase in October compared to September.

End of an Era?

The era of using ad blockers for uninterrupted YouTube viewing is seemingly coming to an end. Previously, many relied on ad blockers for a seamless viewing experience.

However, YouTube initiated a crackdown starting earlier this year after detecting these practices within their system. YouTube stated that using ad blockers would no longer be tolerated.

Those caught doing so would encounter a complete video block and a message prompting them to unblock the ads. To remove this pop-up notification, users are required to permit ads on their basic streaming accounts.

In June, YouTube initiated a crackdown on ad blockers, focusing on identifying users employing this technology to bypass ads during their streams.

Simultaneously, YouTube advocated for its YouTube Premium subscription, offering an ad-free streaming experience. The platform now halts videos when an ad blocker is detected, resuming only when ads are allowed to play during free streams.

Initially directed at a small community, this crackdown expanded on a global scale in early October, with YouTube enforcing the prohibition of ad blockers across various regions. YouTube is striving for a global restriction on the use of this technology in conjunction with streaming on their platform.

Google and YouTube are encouraging users to permit ads while streaming on the platform, presenting the alternative of opting for YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.