YouTube is currently running a small, global test warning users to turn off their ad blockers or be limited in how many videos they can watch.
On Wednesday (June 28), a Reddit user noticed that a window popped up while using YouTube, prompting the user to disable the ad blocker or his player would automatically close after 3 videos.
This test is that if YouTube finds that a user may use an ad blocker, the video playback will automatically stop, unless YouTube is allowed to pop up ads or the user directly closes the ad blocker to use YouTube normally.
YouTube has always been available to billions of users around the world for free. Users can subscribe to YouTube Premium to go ad-free, so creators can still get paid from your subscription.
So after receiving this warning, users will only have two options: turn off the ad blocker and allow ads to pop up, or simply subscribe to YouTube Premium to turn off all ads. YouTube confirmed that these notification reminders are part of this test.
YouTube said it is conducting a small test around the world, urging users who turn on ad blockers to allow ads on YouTube, or try to get users to subscribe to YouTube Premium.
Asked whether the company planned to block users with ad blockers from accessing the platform, YouTube said playback may be temporarily disabled in some special cases.
In these special cases, playback will be temporarily disabled if viewers continue to use an ad blocker. YouTube said it was careful to take the measure of disabling playback, and it would only disable playback when viewers ignored their repeated requests to play ads on YouTube.
YouTube did not disclose specific figures on how many people and in which regions participated in the test and saw these warnings.
It follows another small test in May, when YouTube tested directly blocking ad blocker users from accessing the platform.
A YouTube spokesperson said: Ad blocker detection is common, and other publishers often ask viewers to disable their ad blockers.
According to Variety, YouTube's music and premium services recently surpassed 80 million subscribers, adding more than 30 million in a year.