YouTube is now cracking down on users who use ad blockers to watch videos on their platform.
This crackdown started as an experiment and has now become a global initiative.
When you use an ad blocker on YouTube, you will be prompted to either disable it or subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.
YouTube's communication manager, Christopher Lawton, has confirmed this. Users will see a message that says, "Video playback is blocked unless YouTube is allowed or the ad blocker is disabled."
You have two choices: allow ads or get YouTube Premium, and there are no other options. This crackdown has been expanding over the past few weeks.
In Pakistan, this crackdown has been in effect for some time.
Users there have been constantly prompted to turn off their ad blockers, and after a few reminders, they are eventually forced to do so.
They are also seeing more ads than before.
Lawton says that using ad blockers goes against YouTube's terms of service because ads support content creators and allow people to access their favorite videos on the platform.