YouTube undoubtedly relies on ad revenue. Ads can sometimes be so irritating that many people have to turn to ad blockers to enjoy uninterrupted viewing. Recent reports claim that Google has been testing intimidating warning messages to restrict Internet playback unless people turn it off YouTube ad blockers or pay YouTube Premium. People started noticing warning messages in June 2023.
Why is the streaming giant blocking YouTube ad blockers?
The official statement states:
“Ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service.”
The simple answer is that if the company doesn’t run ads, it won’t be able to attract money from advertisers and revenue will eventually drop. YouTube actually generates some revenue from Premium subscriptions. However, let me tell you that it is not enough to keep the entire service floating. Many channel creators rely on their ad revenue fork, and when a channel becomes unsustainable, it inevitably becomes inactive. This way, YouTube can lose viewers causing a nasty cycle.
It is tipped that the YouTube testing process is taking place in multiple countries. Let me tell you that only a small percentage of users are involved. It’s quite possible that you see warning messages while someone down the street isn’t bothered by them. The platform basically wants you to pay for it YouTube Premium if you want ad-free content. It costs $11.99 per month for most people. However, student and family plans are still available, and you get extra bonuses like offline caching and YouTube Music Premium.
Furthermore, there are downloader extensions that allow you to watch videos offline. However, the company is also trying to address these. YouTube even strives to get around DNS-based solutions by serving ads and content through the same addresses. There is a possibility that VPNs can help if you are already blocked. However, we don’t think that providers’ ad-blocking tools are any different than the freely available tools. We subscribe to a VPN for privacy and security, not to dump ads. What do you think?
