‘YouTube tests new form of adblock check’

YouTube appears to be experimenting with a new variant of its adblock check. A user posts a screenshot of a warning on the site, which states that he or she will be blocked after three videos unless the ad blocker is turned off.

The screenshot, posted by user Reddit_n_Me, shows a variation of an earlier warning, which made the news in May. Where users then had to immediately turn off their ad blocker, the user here gets three more videos before encountering the same blockage. YouTube confirmed that the blockade in May was an experiment; That also seems to be the case now. Apart from Reddit_n_Me, no one else in the Reddit post mentions the same experience, so this is probably a very small-scale experiment.

The Reddit user say To use ‘AdBlock’ for Chrome, which may refer to at least three different extensions. The previous adblock block from May was shown when using uBlock Originan ad blocker popular among techies.

For the time being, YouTube does not appear to have introduced adblock checks on a large scale. The fact that YouTube is experimenting with it may indicate plans to do this in the future. That would also fit in with Google’s financial situation. Digital advertising revenues are in a downturn, and YouTube parent company Alphabet cut about 12,000 jobs in January.