Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Feed Link: https://www.engadget.com/
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Title: YouTube prevents ad-blocking mobile apps from accessing its videos

Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:30:55 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/youtube-prevents-ad-...

YouTube's war with ad blockers is far from over, and it's focusing on tools
that enable ad-free viewing on mobile this time. The Google-owned video
platform has announced that it's "strengthening [its] enforcement on third-
party apps that violate" its Terms of Service, "specifically ad-blocking
apps." It's talking about mobile applications you can use to access videos
without being interrupted by advertisements. When you use an application like
that, you may experience buffering issues or see an error message that says
"The following content is not available on this app."

The service says its terms don't allow third-party apps to switch off ads
"because that prevents the creator from being rewarded for viewership." Like
it's been doing over the past few months since it started cracking down on ad
blockers, YouTube suggests signing up for a Premium membership if you want to
watch ad-free. YouTube Premium will set you back $14 a month.

Back in November, YouTube told us that it "launched a global effort to urge
viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube
Premium for an ad free experience." It started by showing pop-ups whenever an
ad blocker is in use telling you that it's against the website's TOS. Soon
after that, you could only play up to three videos with an ad blocker on
before you can no longer load any. Google also later admitted that if you
have an ad blocker installed, you "may experience suboptimal viewing," such
as having to wait a longer period before a video loads.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/youtube-prevents-ad-...
accessing-its-videos-123055735.html?src=rss

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