Google wants non-paying YouTube viewers to turn off ad blockers or subscribe to YouTube Premium in a new test that cuts folks off after just three videos.
The company is conducting a new test that disables video playback if ad-blocking tools are detected. It’s confirmed that it’s currently testing a new way to persuade people who use ad-blocking tools to disable them on YouTube.
People who are included in this test may be prompted to turn off ad blocking after just three watched videos, disabling video playback unless they comply.
YouTube’s carrot-and-stick approach to ad blocking
YouTube is littered with ads, so many people resort to ad blockers to avoid video playback being interrupted every few minutes by annoying advertisements.
But Google is experimenting with a new carrot-and-stick approach that would punish folks who shield themselves from advertising on YouTube with ad blockers.
The company has confirmed to The Verge that it’s testing the new policy with a subset of its users, saying it’s running “a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium.”
“We take disabling playback very seriously and will only disable playback if viewers ignore repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube,” the company said. “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.”
In its defense, Google says other publishers “regularly ask viewers to disable ad blockers.” While this is true, the company passes over the fact that website owners rarely stop people who use ad blockers from browsing their websites.
Cutting viewers with ad blockers off after just three videos seems a little too aggressive. It’s more like a paywall than your regular ad-blocking warning.
YouTube’s ad load is getting heavier
“We want to inform viewers that ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service,” the company told The Verge.
As if that wasn’t enough, Google earlier tested showing ten unskippable clips within a single ad break! Also, YouTube will serve 30-second ads on TV platforms. Let’s hope this experiment fails because if it doesn’t, people who don’t pay for YouTube premium are going to be inundated with ads even if they use ad blockers.
What’s included in YouTube Premium?
YouTube Premium is a subscription service that includes YouTube Music Premium, ad-free YouTube, downloading offline videos and using background playback, and other perks highlighted in Google’s support document.
YouTube Premium is $12/month or $120/year after a one-month free trial. Be sure to sign up at youtube.com/premium instead of the app to avoid overpaying for YouTube Premium. Google had eighty million combined subscribers across YouTube Premium and YouTube Music as of November 2022.