YouTube extends ad-blocking crackdown to third-party apps

YouTube said that viewers who are using third-party ad-blocker apps may experience buffering issues or see an error message

YouTube is extending its crackdown on ad blockers to third-party apps, as the Google-owned video-sharing platform looks to boost signups for its subscription service YouTube Premium.

On April 15, YouTube said viewers using third-party ad-blocker apps may experience buffering issues or see the error “the following content is not available on this app” when trying to watch a video.

"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, and Ads on YouTube help support creators and let billions of people around the world use the streaming service" the company said in a community announcement.

Those who prefer an ad-free experience can sign up for YouTube Premium. The subscription service is available in India for a monthly fee of Rs 129 for individuals. It offers a student plan for Rs 79 a month and a family plan for Rs 189 that can be shared with five members.

"We only allow third-party apps to use our API when they follow our API Services Terms of Service, and when we find an app that violates these terms, we will take appropriate action to protect our platform, creators, and viewers," the company said.

The move comes after YouTube launched a global effort to crack down on ad blockers in October following an experiment with select users in June 2023. YouTube started blocking video playback for people using ad blockers with a notice asking them to whitelist YouTube or disable the ad blocker.

The decision came after YouTube's advertising revenues declined by 2.6 percent to $6.69 billion in Q1 2023, marking the third consecutive quarterly fall. It also coincided with a global advertising slowdown due to economic uncertainty.

The advertising revenues bounced in subsequent quarters, clocking a 15.5 percent increase to $9.2 billion in Q4 2023, the most recent quarter.

In February 2024, YouTube announced it had more than 100 million paid subscribers across YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, up from 80 million in November 2022.

Google's overall subscription business, which includes YouTube Premium, crossed $15 billion in annual revenues, parent Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said in January.