YouTube Strengthens Ban on Third-Party Ad Blocker Apps

YouTube announced that it will be strengthening its enforcement of blocking third-party apps that violated the platform's terms of service, specifically the ad blockers.

Previously, YouTube users reported a notice appeared while using the app due to their usage of ad-blocking services.

YouTube Cracks Down Third-Party Ad Blockers

Last year, YouTube surprised its users by fully blocking ad blockers globally. The move is an effort to boost the YouTube Premium offers of the platform which offers an ad-free experience to its users.

While some ad-blocker users managed to get away, YouTube shared that it will be more strict in enforcing the crackdown. Soon viewers who still use ad blockers will experience buffering issues and an error message stating "The following content is not available on this app."

"We want to emphasize that our terms don't allow third-party apps to turn off ads because that prevents the creator from being rewarded for viewership, and Ads on YouTube help support creators and let billions of people around the world use the streaming service," YouTube wrote in a statement.

YouTube Pushes Premium Service for Ad-Free Experience

YouTube started its subscription services a decade ago. Today, its Premium service has already hit 100 million subscribers. The platform has been advertising its Premium plan as an alternative viewing experience for its users.

As of writing, YouTube Premium costs $13.99 per month or $139.99 for annual plan. The platform also offers a Family plan for $22.99 per month and a Student plan which costs only $7.99 per month. All tiers include a one-month free trial.

On the other hand, YouTube stated that the platform will still allow third-party apps to use their API. However, the company emphasized that it should follow the API Services Terms of Services.

"When we find an app that violates these terms, we will take appropriate action to protect our platform, creators, and viewers," the company added.