Google-owned YouTube is now intensifying its efforts to combat the use of ad blockers. Users who employ ad-blocking extensions (like uBlock Origin and AdBlock) are now facing significant restrictions. Upon attempting to play videos, these users are met with messages stating that ‘Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube’, accompanied by prompts to either disable their ad blockers or subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.
Such a move is part of the platform’s strategy to ensure that free users cannot bypass advertisements, which are a primary revenue source for both the platform and its content creators. The company highlights that ads enable billions of people worldwide to access the platform for free and that using ad blockers violates its Terms of Service. In India, the company currently offers three main Premium plans. The Individual plan starts at ₹149 per month, the Family plan is ₹299 per month for up to 5 members, and the Student plan is ₹89 per month with yearly verification.
However, at the same time, this crackdown has led to a significant backlash from the user community. Many users express frustration over the aggressive enforcement, arguing that it disrupts their viewing experience and leaves them with limited choices – watch ads, pay for YouTube Premium, or stop using the platform.
Earlier in 2024, YouTube escalated its technical enforcement against ad blockers in a more systematic and large-scale manner. The platform moved beyond simple pop-up warnings and began actively preventing video playback for users with ad-blocking extensions.
This enforcement was powered by client-side JavaScript checks that validated whether ad calls were being interrupted or skipped. If the platform identified any interference (like missing network calls to ad servers or a failure in loading the pre-roll ad), it would stop the video and display a full-screen message. This message required users to either disable the ad blocker or subscribe to YouTube Premium to regain access to video content. The crackdown began as a limited test in select regions but quickly expanded into a global rollout by late 2024.
Notably, by 2025, the video streaming giant is expected to reach 2.85 billion monthly active users, up from 2.5 billion in 2024. The platform is now available in 100 countries and supports 80 different languages. Among all markets, India and the United States have the highest number of users. Alongside its expanding user base, the platform’s advertising business is also seeing strong growth. In 2025, its ad revenue is projected to hit $36.1 billion, which marks a 14.6% increase compared to 2024.
