# YouTube "forbidding" ad blockers. Concerns, if any? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 13, 2023, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493 "2023-10-13T04:54:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/501 "2025-06-06T12:13:08Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > Honestly, at this point it’s just flat-out baffling. Yeah, they’re targeting the minority of minority of users – those that watch on a computer that are techie enough to install an ad blocker. I have to imagine most people watch on their phone or tablet (where it’s much harder to get an ad blocker going), followed by smart TVs, and then computers. And, of those, I imagine a minority have ad blockers on. ETA: Actually, smart TVs recently surpassed phones. ETA2: Looks like computers account for 12% of streams, and about 40% of computers use ad blockers, so all of this work and annoyance is for 6% of viewers. And, what’s the result? People moving away from Chrome. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/502 "2025-06-06T12:54:27Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > ETA2: Looks like **computers account for 12% of streams** , and about 40% of computers use ad blockers, so all of this work and annoyance is for 6% of viewers. And, what’s the result? People moving away from Chrome. [my bold] Wowza, that is _shockingly_ low to me. At the risk of topic drift, does this mean that old fashioned PCs, incl. laptops, are going the way of the dinosaurs? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/503 "2025-06-06T12:56:56Z")
Yes. They are used for work, of course. But i think tablets and phones (and smart TVs) are all now popular for consuming entertainment. And even for light “computer stuff” like email or buying stuff on the web. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/504 "2025-06-06T14:49:00Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Back to normal here. I didn’t make any changes (didn’t refresh ublock etc), but the pissygrams have ceased and videos work fine again. I’m still getting the warning. It’s still easy to close and watch videos otherwise normally, but it’s popped up twice today so far, and the day is young. Of course I should be doing better things than watching YouTube all day . . . ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/505 "2025-06-06T15:04:12Z")
I enjoy youtube enough that I’m a paid subscriber. I realized I watched it more than broadcast TV, Netflix, or anything else. Probably more than everything else combined. In addition to skipping most of the ads, (there are still embedded sponsorships) being a paid subscriber also lets me download stuff to watch on airplanes, and skip forward and back easily, and probably some other stuff that doesn’t matter to me. Compated to Netflix or some of the others, it feels like a good deal to me. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/506 "2025-06-06T15:15:18Z")
That’s just it, I just watch it occasionally for some music video or something, nothing long form. So, watching a few commercials before a 3 minute video is really annoying. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/507 "2025-06-06T16:55:54Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I just close the message and the videos still play without ads. same; I watch on a cromebook > [@DWMarch](#): > > It has been my experience thus far that Youtube might win for a day or two but then there will be a uBlock update that sets things back to how I want them to be. yay! I hope that continues to be true. > [@DKW](#): > > It’s as if someone at YouTube was hellbent on being as annoying as possible kinda does, doesn’t it? > [@puzzlegal](#): > > i think tablets and phones (and smart TVs) are all now popular for consuming entertainment. And even for light “computer stuff” like email or buying stuff on the web. well, maybe it’s me being old/vision issues, but I HATE using my phone for most things online. the only advantage is it fits in my purse but almost everything I want to do on the interest is harder or impossible (searches!) and of course just harder to see! > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I enjoy youtube enough that I’m a paid subscriber I use it a lot, too, because I don’t have a TV so I stream YouTube or Tubi on my laptop. I would pay a (small) subscription maybe if they weren’t being assholes about it. but now that I’m used to it being free/no ads, maybe not? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/508 "2025-06-06T17:45:45Z")
Normally, I use my phone for calls and GPS transit and walking directions. My sister keeps telling me to enable voice dictation. While I do have great difficulty typing on my phone, I rarely need to. I have without any exaggeration done more typing on my phone in the three weeks since I had to make an emergency flight to Florida than I have in all the years I owned a smartphone. My sister and SIL want me to enable iCloud so that we can share a common calendar. Nobody has been able to provide a single benefit that iCloud would give me. I can already backup all data on my iPhone by downloading ITunes onto my laptop (I did. It was fast, easy and free ) and connecting my iPhone by Bluetooth or data cable. Considering that I would need to disable every feature of iCloud except for sharing that one calendar, it is not worth it. While wondering about iCloud, I looked at Siri . I can’t simply delete it. I discovered that even though I never use it, Siri has been collecting data on a bunch of things. There was no option to simply tell Siri to stop collecting data on my app use. I had to go through a list of every app on my iPhone do a few clicks and swipes for each and every app. I don’t think disabling all the unwanted features on iCloud would be any easier ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/509 "2025-06-06T18:55:57Z")
Looks like YouTube has just done something in its ongoing war with adblockers - r/youtube is completely rammed with people complaining that it’s not loading properly - including that they tried turning off adblock, but it turns out most of them had more than one adblocker installed and they’d only turned off one of them. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/510 "2025-06-06T19:03:11Z")
Yep, that just happened to me on my laptop (firefox with adblock). Not a big deal since I watch youtube on my TV 95% of the time and have a premium subscription. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/511 "2025-06-06T19:10:46Z")
I’ve had a little service degradation the last few days like hitches before starting or video freezing and only audio playing if I skip ahead. It always amuses me a little to think that YT might be doing this intentionally to try to make me give up my ad blocker but they don’t SAY they’re doing it. “Check out this shitty user experience! Sure you don’t want to pay a monthly fee for this??” ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/512 "2025-06-06T19:30:11Z")
A protection racket, IOW. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/513 "2025-06-06T19:33:34Z")
Well, sure. But a protection racket only works if you know that you’re being extorted. YT supposedly creates a worse experience for people using ad blockers but _isn’t telling them that their ad blocker is why it’s a bad experience_. Unless you’re keeping up with the tech news, it just feels like YouTube sucks as a reliable service. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/514 "2025-06-06T19:44:42Z")
At $13.99/month it is waaaay too expensive. Especially since they do not pay to produce any content. Yes, they give some money to creators but that is much less expensive than buying a Hollywood movie. If they were $3/month I’d think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/515 "2025-06-06T20:02:32Z")
I staked my claim at $10. YT Music isn’t needed/wanted by me so including it is just bloating the costs. As noted, YT isn’t producing content. Services like Netflix offer professionally produced and performed shows. On YouTube, I’m mainly watching some guy film himself talking about old graphics cards or trying to clean a 1978 cassette deck. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/516 "2025-06-07T00:19:14Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I’ve been using uBlock Origin in Firefox, and I just started having the same problem yesterday. How does one reset uBlock? Well, uBlock is working again, and I didn’t do anything. I assume it must have been updated between then and now. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/517 "2025-06-07T00:55:14Z")
As of moments ago I got the same old screen about ad blockers that I posted earlier, except a timer ran for about 5 seconds before I could close the popup and watch the video. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/518 "2025-06-07T01:20:43Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Yeah, they’re targeting the minority of minority of users – those that watch on a computer that are techie enough to install an ad blocker. Actually almost half of Americans use ad blockers, and it goes up all the time, and about a third of internet users worldwide use them A large minority not a small one, and it’s growing. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/519 "2025-06-07T01:33:40Z")
But, only a minority of YouTube viewers use computers to watch. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2025, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/520 "2025-06-07T01:49:59Z")
There are ad blockers on phones, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493.md?page=27)