While ads might not be everyone’s favorite thing in the world, they’re a crucial part of supportingcontent creatorsworldwide. In light of this, Google is escalating itsbattle with ad blockersto prevent lost revenue for itself and creators.
A useron Redditrecently posted about receiving a hour-long ad on a Minecraft-related video on YouTube. The ad lasted the entirety of the video, and the user had no option to skip it. The useradmittedto using an ad blocker, leading many to believe that was the culprit behind the issue.
Earlier this month,another user sharedthat they received 3 hours of unskippable ads on a video. Many users also shared similar but unsubstantiated experiences, withone claimingthey had received a 10-hour ad before andanother claimingthey had a 90-hour ad once. While not confirmed, there’s a good chance many of these instances could be attributed to ad blockers, which Google isproactively cracking downon.
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Google issued a statement in response to the Reddit post
The tech giant suggests users fork out cash for YouTube Premium to prevent ads
“Ads are a vital lifeline for our creators that helps them run and grow their businesses. That’s why the use of ad blockers violates YouTube’s Terms of Service.” Google said in a statement toAndroid Authority. “We’ve launched a global effort to urge viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.”
In 2024,Google announcedit was “strengthening the enforcement” of ad-blockers and that users who have one enabled may experience errors or long buffering times. Google’s solution for users who don’t want ads is YouTube Premium, which costs $14 a month and offers an ad-free experience on the platform, among other features. I understand Google wants to crack down on ads, but I’m not sure that brutally long unskippable ads and suggesting users swipe their credit cards is the way to go.
YouTube Premium’s newest features include a big upgrade for audiophiles
