• YouTube now is continuing its assault on ad blockers, including third-party apps.
  • The viewers who are watching videos via an ad-blocking app may encounter buffering issues.
  • Although this crackdown may disappoint some users who employ ad-blocking apps, YouTube won’t back down in its battle against ad blockers.

OUR TAKE
Ads on YouTube may sometimes confuse our users, consequently, we ask the help of ad-blocking third-party apps to watch videos interruption-free on YouTube. However, this trend may lead to the dissatisfaction of advertising agencies on YouTube and prevent the creator from being rewarded for viewership. YouTube’s crackdown protects advertising agencies’ and creators’ rights and interests to a certain extent, but this measure may give rise to the loss of users.
— Fiona Huang, BTW Reporter

YouTube’s crackdown on ad blockers is underway and now extends to third-party apps, which may result in the increasing of unpleasant users.

YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown on third-party apps

YouTube reports on Monday that users who are watching videos through an ad-blocking third-party app may experience buffering problems or receive an error message stating, “The following content is not available on this app.” YouTube advises subscribing to the ad-free YouTube Premium to avoid this situation.

YouTube started to disable videos for users who had installed an ad-blocking extension last year.

According to YouTube’s policies, third-party apps cannot disable advertisements because doing so prevents the creator from being rewarded for viewership.

YouTube states that they only permit third-party apps that abide by their API Services Terms of Service. If YouTube finds an app that violates these terms, it will take appropriate action to protect the YouTube platform, creators and viewers.

Also read: How did the internet start?

Also read: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak wins fake video lawsuit v YouTube

The influence of the crackdown

This crackdown means to be directed at mobile ad blockers such as AdGuard, which allows you to open YouTube within the ad blocking app, where you will watch videos without any interruptions.

It is probably not good news for every user who watches YouTube through an ad blocker, which may result in a loss of views, but it appears that YouTube is not going to give up on its fight against ad blockers any time soon.