Like many apps and services, YouTube generates revenue largely through advertisements. That's why in recent years, it has implemented strategies to reduce the use of apps that remove or hide ads.
The aim of these measures is to promote the YouTube Premium service, which eliminates commercials and provides additional benefits. Those who opt not to subscribe will encounter occasional ads that appear before or during video playback.
People who install browser extensions to avoid ads will encounter a message limiting the number of videos they can watch on YouTube. Similarly, those using ad blockers might experience slower loading times and, according to reports, even cause their computers to overheat.
Now, the popular Google-owned video platform has taken another step that will undoubtedly disappoint many mobile device users.
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YouTube Deals a Heavy Blow to Third-Party Ad-Blocking Apps
There are third-party apps that allow users to watch all YouTube content without ads, even if they don't have a YouTube Premium subscription; however, Google will take firm action against such programs.
Earlier this week, the YouTube team posted a statement on the support page addressing the issue of third-party ad-blocking apps. There, they issued a warning to the community.
Specifically, the company warns users that using these programs could lead to buffering issues or the appearance of the following error message: "This content is not available on this app." It explains that these third-party apps violate their terms of service and harm YouTubers.
"We want to emphasize that our terms do not allow third-party apps to disable ads, as this prevents creators from being rewarded for their audience. Ads on YouTube help support creators and allow millions of people around the world to use the streaming service," the statement reads.
Of course, the company reminds users that they can have an ad-free experience by subscribing to the YouTube Premium service, which currently costs $139 MXN per month.
"We only allow third-party apps to use our API when they follow our terms of service. When we find an app that breaks those terms, we will take appropriate action to protect our platform, creators, and viewers," the statement concludes.
While this news will be disappointing to many, we remind you that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can get 3 months of YouTube Premium for free thanks to a limited-time promotion.
But tell us, what do you think of these strategies? Let us know in the comments.
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