YouTube takes action against third-party ad-blocking apps

After ad blockers, YouTube is launching a crackdown on third-party apps, often mobile apps, that allow viewers to skip ads. YouTube announced today that it is «stepping up its crackdown on third-party apps that violate YouTube’s Terms of Service, particularly ad-blocking apps».

YouTube is taking steps to crack down on third-party apps that violate YouTube’s Terms of Service. When users attempt to play content through these alternative clients, they will see an error message «The following content is not available in this app» or encounter «buffering issues». Additionally, users will see an error message «The following content is not available in this app» or encounter «buffering issues».

We want to emphasize that our terms do not allow third-party apps to disable ads because it prevents creators from being rewarded for views, while YouTube ads help support creators and allow billions of people around the world to use the streaming service».

YouTube Premium, which reached 100 million subscribers in February, is being offered as a solution for those who «prefer a completely ad-free experience». Google’s video site says it only allows «third-party apps to use our API if they follow our API Terms of Service». YouTube has previously fought «YouTube Vanced» in 2022. Going forward, the company will pursue customers who violate these rules: «…when we discover an app that violates these terms, we will take appropriate action to protect our platform, creators and viewers»

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