YouTube confirms that they are conducting "a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium." It seems that the company may soon disable video playback for people who are using ad blockers.
From The Verge:
"We take disabling playback very seriously, and will only disable playback if viewers ignore repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube," [Google spokesperson Oluwa] Falodun's email to The Verge reads. "In cases when viewers feel they have been falsely flagged as using an ad blocker, they can share this feedback by clicking on the link in the prompt."
These measures indicate that YouTube is hardening its stance against ad blockers, and it's justifying the move by saying all of those ad spots are critical for creators to be compensated for their content — and for the platform to remain free. "YouTube's ad-supported model supports a diverse ecosystem of creators, and provides billions of people globally access to content for free with ads," the company's statement says.
