Blocking ads on YouTube videos? YouTube might soon start blocking you back

Companies are increasingly getting more aggressive about users trying to skirt their revenue streams. In May, Netflix went ahead with its password-sharing crackdown in the United States, and in June Costco began cracking down on people who are using someone else’s membership.

Now YouTube is cracking down on viewers who try to skirt the platform’s ads.

As first reported by users on Reddit (via TechCrunch), YouTube appears to be testing ad-blocking deterrence measures on those using ad blockers on the site to circumvent a video’s ads. The deterrence works like this: If YouTube detects that you are using an ad blocker on its site, a message will appear stating that it thinks you are using a blocker. YouTube will then let you watch three more videos before it blocks the video player in your browser.

In short: If you block YouTube ads, YouTube will block your ability to watch YouTube videos. It’s unclear how widespread the deterrence measures being tested are or what triggers them. The r/YouTube subreddit says it is aware that the AdBlock Plus and Ublock Origin extensions in the Firefox bowser have been triggering the deterrence, but it’s likely other browsers and ad blockers are also triggers. In order to watch more than three videos again, users must disable their ad blocker on the site.

When reached for comment about the deterrence measures, a YouTube spokesperson told TechCrunch, “We’re running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium.”

Regardless of how small the experiment is, it goes to show companies are increasingly no longer tolerating the use of their services without being compensated, whether that’s via paid memberships or ad revenue.