YouTube has started to enforce its policies on third-party ad-blocking apps. The Google-owned video streaming platform announced that it is “strengthening our enforcement on third-party apps that violate YouTube’s Terms of Service, specifically ad-blocking apps.”
This move follows YouTube’s crackdown on users watching videos with ad blockers in October 2023, which prevented video playback if an ad blocker was in use. Now, the platform is also taking steps to block third-party apps from circumventing ads, and videos might not play properly while using apps that attempt to avoid ads.
YouTube’s attempt to thwart ad blockers on the platform now covers third-party apps. If you tried to watch a video on YouTube while using an ad blocker, playback would be paused until YouTube was whitelisted or the ad blocker was disabled. However, for months, a few apps could get around ads using YouTube’s API. That appears to be over, as YouTube says it is “strengthening our enforcement on third-party apps that violate YouTube’s Terms of Service, specifically ad-blocking apps.”
“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,” YouTube explains, “and Ads on YouTube help support creators and let billions of people around the world use the streaming service.” YouTube is once again pushing users who want an ad-free experience to subscribe to YouTube Premium. It costs $14 per month and, among other things, removes all ads on the platform. YouTube Premium subscribers can watch videos uninterrupted, but a portion of their subscription fee is still shared with creators in the YouTube Partner Program.
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