Ad-Blockers and Their General Use
A lot of people around the entire globe rely on ad-blockers. Ad-blockers are mainly used so that people do not encounter a series of ads. However, there are many reasons as to why this is wrong. There are a lot of streaming platforms, such as YouTube, that use ads so that people can watch videos on a daily basis.
In short, ads are a way for YouTube and others to maintain their platform. However, due to technology constantly advancing, more and more ad-blockers are getting introduced into the streaming world. Therefore, these platforms are beginning to take serious action against ad-blockers. There are different ways that they are going about this.
YouTube Takes Action
It has become recently known that YouTube is a streaming platform that is beginning to take action against ad-blockers. Since YouTube was not doing anything at first, there were many people that were getting away with using ad-blockers.
However, within the near future, that is going to change, as YouTube implements new ways for people to avoid using ad-blockers. “YouTube is broadening its efforts to crack down on ad blockers. The platform has “launched a global effort” to encourage users to allow ads or try YouTube Premium,” according to The Verge.
The Issue with Using YouTube Premium
YouTube offers this subscription as a way to get rid of the ads in a manner that follows their Terms of Service. However, there are people that are not willing to pay the subscription price to get rid of ads. Instead, they resort to the cheaper option, which in this case are ad-blockers. However, since YouTube is finally taking action, less and less ad-blocker software will be available to the general public to use. This leaves many people discouraged and upset.
“People are unsurprisingly unhappy about the development and have taken to social networks like Reddit to air their grievances,” according to Engadget. Clearly, this was as expected, yet there is nothing else that can be done.
What Exactly Happens If Caught Using an Ad-Blocker?
YouTube has a software that they have installed that can automatically detect if there is an ad-blocker being used. “YouTube has said that it will not block video playback immediately after a user is detected using an ad blocker. Instead, users will be prompted to allow ads or to subscribe to YouTube Premium. If a user continues to use an ad blocker after being prompted, YouTube may eventually block their video playback,” according to The Tech Portal.
Meaning, it is the best choice not to use an ad-blocker, otherwise YouTube software will completely block the video from being seen at all.
The Future of YouTube
It is unclear what the future of this platform will be after conducting this change. However, it does not seem that there will be much of a major change, as billions of people use YouTube on a daily basis. These people also do not mind ads being in the video or are subscribed to YouTube Premium. However, there will be a percentage of people that may not utilize this platform because of this change.
However, this can also support the platform by allowing more people to subscribe to the Premium version. This can certainly drive profits up for the platform itself. All in all, it seems that this may be a good move from the platform itself. Maybe not for the users themselves, but when it comes to the business aspect, it will certainly be a benefit. Only the future will tell how YouTube goes about this new change, and if any other drastic measure needs to be taken as a result.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
The Verge: YouTube is getting serious about blocking ad blockers
Engadget: YouTube is cracking down on ad blockers globally
The Tech Portal: YouTube gets serious about ad blockers
Featured Image Courtesy of BRICK 101’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of redsoul300’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License