YouTube ramps up efforts to block you from blocking ads

The YouTube app listing on the Google Play Store, running on a Google Pixel 8 Pro

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

What you need to know

Google has started to block streaming to users who use ad blockers and don't subscribe to YouTube Premium.
The company says subscribing to YouTube Premium is the only legal way to get rid of all those annoying ads.
The company is now rolling out this policy globally after testing it back in June.

If you're a YouTube user who uses an ad blocker to get rid of those pesky ads, you might soon find yourself losing access to YouTube's service until you disable the blocker.

Google began ramping up its efforts to crack down on ad blockers back in June, and the company is now rolling out this policy globally, as YouTube communications manager Christopher Lawton told The Verge. This policy extends to all the ways you can watch YouTube, from the best Android phones to smart TVs with YouTube built-in.

While one Verge staffer was able to continue watching a video after dismissing the prompt, it looks like the intention is to fully block access to YouTube as long as an ad blocker is being used.

The only official way around this is to subscribe to YouTube Premium, which costs around $14 per month and includes full access to the YouTube Music streaming service, as well. YouTube Premium completely removes ads from the YouTube platform and delivers a small stipend to video creators instead of ad revenue. In most cases, this stipend is more money than they would have made if you watched an ad instead.

Google contends that ads are a vital part of the YouTube ecosystem and wants to ensure that the ecosystem continues to remain healthy for users who don't subscribe to the ad-free model.

Unfortunately, the move follows recent price hikes for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music in the U.S., which potentially drove some subscribers away from the platform. It's unclear if these ad-blocker-blocking tactics will fare any better toward getting more users to hop onto the YouTube Premium subscription, but unfortunately, YouTube is far from the only streaming service raising prices.

Nick started with DOS and NES and uses those fond memories of floppy disks and cartridges to fuel his opinions on modern tech. Whether it's VR, smart home gadgets, or something else that beeps and boops, he's been writing about it since 2011. Reach him on Twitter or Instagram @Gwanatu