A viewer reportedly got a 60-minute unskippable ad on YouTube while watching a Minecraft video. The video went viral on Reddit, which sparked a discussion of other users sharing the same experience.
Google responds to the video
After the post went viral, Google responded that users should simply pay for YouTube Premium to skip ads. Aside from watching the videos ad-free, Premium subscribers can also enjoy offline downloads, background play, and access to exclusive content.
“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. 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,” Google’s response stated.
YouTube’s crackdown on ad blockers
YouTube started cracking down on ad blockers in 2023 by cutting the video off if the viewer is using ad blockers. The company has grown its efforts into the crackdown by muting the entire video if ad blockers are being used. Users have found a workaround to these measures so YouTube decided to get stricter in 2024 by using a new method called server-side ad injection. With the new method, ads are embedded into the videos themselves, so it’s harder for users to block the ads using ad blockers. Another measure that YouTube has done is showing unskippable black screen. However, as YouTube exhaust more measures like mentioned, ad blockers are also upgrading their filters to offer better ad-free experience for users.
Google’s response has always been the same, to say for the Premium subscription to get hassle-free viewing. Such subscription help support creators in the platform and offer more perks to its viewers.