YouTube cracks down (again) on ad blockers, frustrating users

In a nutshell: YouTube is now 20 years old, and the platform has changed significantly since its early days. A sizable minority of users is fed up with invasive advertising and actively seek ways to block ads whenever possible. It's a classic cat-and-mouse game. Some users are once again frustrated by YouTube's erratic behavior with ad blockers. The issue appears to affect various browsers and layout engines, suggesting that Google may have introduced a new anti-ad blocker policy to push viewers back to watching ads. According to a recent Neowin report, YouTube has begun displaying its familiar banner warning against ad blockers, citing a violation of the site's terms of service. The message states: "It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Video playback is blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled." Google insists that advertising is essential to maintaining YouTube as a free platform for billions of users worldwide. The company also emphasizes that ... Read full article.