YouTube has escalated its campaign against ad blockers by extending the fight to mobile devices. In a recent announcement on Monday, the video-sharing platform warned users that employing third-party ad-blocking applications on mobile might result in buffering problems or encounter an error message stating, “The following content is not available on this app.”
This move follows YouTube's previous efforts, where it globally urged users to either allow advertisements during video playback or switch to YouTube Premium. Additionally, the platform began deactivating videos for users utilising ad-blocking extensions.
Now, YouTube has reinforced its stance, stating that its policies prohibit third-party apps from disabling ads as it hampers creators' ability to earn from viewership. This directive seemingly targets mobile ad blockers such as AdGuard, which facilitates uninterrupted viewing of YouTube content within its application.
"We only permit third-party apps to utilise our API under compliance with our API Services Terms of Service," YouTube asserts. "In instances where we identify an app violating these terms, we will take necessary measures to safeguard our platform, creators, and audience."
To counter this, YouTube reiterates the option of subscribing to the ad-free YouTube Premium. While this development may not be well received by users accustomed to watching YouTube via ad-blocking apps, it indicates that YouTube remains resolute in its stance against ad blockers.