# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Digger11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Digger11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digger11)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/121 "2023-10-21T01:57:19Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > Well I dont know about anyone else but YouTube got hard tonight and after 3 videos here’s what you get : > > " Ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service > > - It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Video playback is blocked unless YouTube is allowed listed or the ad blocker is disabled. > - Ads allow YouTube to be used by billions worldwide. > - You can go ad-free with YouTube Premium, and creators can still get paid from your subscription. > > and won’t leave that screen… It’s been a couple days now since I deleted my cookies, and I haven’t had any pop-ups so far. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2023, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/122 "2023-10-21T02:47:27Z")
I haven’t found this to be the case. Or uBlock is good at auto-updating. In any event, I’ve only had to update maybe once or twice since this thread began and I was past the Three Strikes before that. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2023, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/123 "2023-10-21T03:06:44Z")
I had to clear cache/update everyday for 2-3 days then I have not had to. I am using Firefox if that matters. Dunno why it worked that way. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/124 "2023-10-21T04:19:11Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Or uBlock is good at auto-updating. How often do you open and close your browser? I think it auto-updates every time you open the browser. Some people close their browser when switching to another task; others always leave the browser open–maybe days at a time. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2023, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/125 "2023-10-21T04:47:43Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > How often do you open and close your browser? At least a couple times a day. Certainly daily since I close everything down at night. Even knowing the vagaries of different systems, setups, other software, etc it’s interesting how widely everyone’s experience with this varies. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/126 "2023-10-21T04:54:36Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Some people close their browser when switching to another task; others always leave the browser open–maybe days at a time. Ah, that might explain why I haven’t been having any issues since I ditched Adblock for uBlock on Youtube. I only very rarely leave a browser running if I’m not using it at that exact moment. Y’know, like a normal person 😜. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/127 "2023-10-21T05:04:36Z")
I use AdBlock plus and the only issue I’ve seen with Youtube ads being blocked is that I have to refresh the screen when the introductory ad tries to play. I get a black screen, hit refresh, and the video starts fine. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/128 "2023-10-21T12:50:11Z")
Pulykamell: this isn’t going to last. Youtube goes through a progression of warnings, so it will get worse: > Is there only one type of warning? > > No, there are 4 stages to this: > > ``` > A closable popup warning. > A closable popup warning with a time delay. > The 3 video countdown to when they'll stop your playback. > The in-player message. Playback is stopped. > > ``` > **[solutions/youtube/detection-faq - uBlockOrigin](https://www.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/wiki/solutions/youtube/detection-faq/)** > > r/uBlockOrigin: An efficient blocker add-on for various browsers. Fast, potent, and lean. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/129 "2023-10-21T13:50:19Z")
I clicked on the “Report” button, and told YouTube that if I can’t watch their videos, I’ll just find the video on another site. Or not watch it at all. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/130 "2023-10-21T13:54:03Z")
I’m not getting any sort of warning using AdBlock Plus. Just a blank screen I refresh. I can also (so far) block ads on my YouTube app on the iPhone using AdGuatd, but I have to do that for each individual video I want to watch. ETA: perhaps the popular warning itself is getting blocked? I guess we’ll see. I have no issue with having to sit through ads if I have to. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2023, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/131 "2023-10-21T14:39:27Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > And I have an ad blocker of sorts that works with the app. It doesn’t block per se, but it mutes the sound and automatically hits skip as soon as it appears. Ooh, that sounds perfect. YouTube ads are usually short, and i kinda like that I’m paying the creators something. But I’d love to make them a little less obtrusive. What do you use? (I have recently downloaded the YouTube app on my phone, and agree that it is nicer than viewing YouTube on a browser on the little screen.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/132 "2023-10-21T14:58:25Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I clicked on the “Report” button, and told YouTube that if I can’t watch their videos, I’ll just find the video on another site. Or not watch it at all. If I understand correctly, those of us who block the ads are essentially freeloaders, and I don’t see why YouTube would care if we threaten to take our business elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/133 "2023-10-21T15:10:09Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Ooh, that sounds perfect. YouTube ads are usually short, and i kinda like that I’m paying the creators something. But I’d love to make them a little less obtrusive. What do you use? It’s this one: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.huypq.skipads&hl=en&gl=US](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.huypq.skipads&hl=en&gl=US) I know 3.4 or whatever doesn’t seem very positive, but if you read the reviews mostly it’s people disappointed that it only mutes and then skips when the skip button appears, rather than being an insta-skip (i.e. it does what it says it would do in the description, but possibly the name of the app gave some people the wrong impression). Personally I like it, it’s lightweight and there are no ads in the app itself. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/134 "2023-10-21T15:36:01Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > If I understand correctly, those of us who block the ads are essentially freeloaders, and I don’t see why YouTube would care if we threaten to take our business elsewhere. An extremely optimistic view would be that enough viewers leaving the platform (freeloading or not) would impact the rate that creators put out content (since viewership is low) or even stop, thus making the subscription less valuable for paying customers who then leave, etc. And then Google magically realizes that they should change their ad practices, lower sub prices, etc. In reality, of course, that won’t happen. Also, people’s feedback just gets aggregated by some keyword algorithm that lets someone know that 6.22% of responses threatened to quit without a living soul ever casting eyes on your threat-laden missive. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/135 "2023-10-21T16:29:31Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > If I understand correctly, those of us who block the ads are essentially freeloaders, and I don’t see why YouTube would care if we threaten to take our business elsewhere. People who are initially freeloaders often change later in their life because freeloading is a hassle. For example I think you will find a significant number of people here who freeloaded on Napster 20+ years ago now subscribe to Spotify or one of its competitors instead of freeloading on another filesharing service. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/136 "2023-10-21T17:38:54Z")
I don’t mind an ad or two at the start of the video, but having Sibelius 5th Symphony interrupted eight times is unbearable. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/137 "2023-10-21T17:46:28Z")
Sigh. “This app isn’t available for your device because it was made for an older version of Android”. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/138 "2023-10-21T20:11:56Z")
After being away from YouTube a few days and thinking I was likely done with it, I tried again a day or two ago, and got absolutely no warning of any kind interrupting my experience. I generally do not close my browser (Firefox) when I’m done with it for the moment, because it takes an inordinately long amount of time to actually navigate anywhere when it first loads. I tried a couple things that have been claimed to help, but they didn’t work and “never close the browser” works fine for me in general to get around it. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/139 "2023-10-21T20:22:37Z")
I progressed to the message that cannot be bypassed, so I switched from Chrome to Firefox. That worked for several days, then that displayed the same message. So far, using Chrome’s incognito mode, I have been able to avoid the message or been blocked. It is possible to keep two Chrome windows open; one standard, one incognito. That is my plan for now. I am seriously considering posting my videos on Vimeo, which has a slightly better interface anyway. If things continue as they are now, I will recommend using Vimeo to my clients. From a viewer’s perspective, there is no cost, little downside, and some advantages. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493/140 "2023-10-21T22:34:25Z")
Oh dear. Maybe that’s a deliberate thing, part of the same effort to block the ad blockers… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-forbidding-ad-blockers-concerns-if-any/991493.md?page=8)