YouTube’s recent efforts to crack down on ad blockers have had unintended consequences, as ad-blocking companies are feeling the heat.
Thousands of users are reportedly uninstalling ad-blocking extensions in response to YouTube’s new measures, which display warnings to users attempting to watch ad-blocked content on the platform.
This crackdown has stirred a surge in users abandoning their ad-blocking tools, resulting in a significant impact on these companies’ operations.
AdGuard, one of the prominent ad-blocking companies, revealed that since YouTube’s crackdown began on October 9, more than 11,000 people uninstalled its Chrome extension daily.
This marked a considerable increase from the previous average of 6,000 daily uninstalls. One day, October 18 saw an astounding 52,000 people parting ways with AdGuard’s extension.
Installations of AdGuard’s paid version, unaffected by YouTube’s crackdown, actually rose during this period.
Ghostery, another ad-blocking company, faced a similar struggle in October, with its usage flat. Although the company experienced an increase in daily installations, it was accompanied by a surge in uninstalls, with some users attributing their departure to the fact that the tool no longer worked with YouTube.
Ghostery reported that over 90 percent of users who completed a survey about their uninstalls cited YouTube’s incompatibility as the primary reason.
Since YouTube’s crackdown primarily affects users accessing its website via Google Chrome on laptops and desktops, some individuals sought alternative solutions.
Some turned to different browsers to circumvent the restrictions. Ghostery noted a substantial uptick in installations of Microsoft’s Edge browser in October, indicating that users were actively seeking alternatives to continue using ad-blocking tools.
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YouTube’s Ad Revenue Growth
For YouTube, advertising is a significant revenue stream, contributing substantially to Google’s overall earnings. In the first nine months of this year, YouTube reported ad sales exceeding $22 billion.
While YouTube continues to rake in impressive ad revenues, it is simultaneously pushing users towards its premium offering, YouTube Premium.
This subscription service, priced at $14 per month, offers an ad-free experience, the ability to download videos, higher video quality streaming, and access to YouTube Music.
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