For years, many YouTube users have relied on ad blockers to avoid interruptions while watching videos.
But Google has found a way to fight back. Some users are now reporting that instead of being blocked outright, they are being forced to sit through ads that last for an hour or even longer.
These ads cannot be skipped, making the experience even more frustrating, reports Ziare.
Reports of this new tactic started appearing on Reddit. Several users claimed they were shown ads over 180 minutes long, with no option to skip.
One viral screenshot showed an ad-blocking extension failing to bypass the ad, leaving the user stuck.
Google has not officially announced this change, but it has confirmed that it is taking stricter action against ad blockers.
A company statement explained that ads are a key source of revenue for content creators. It also warned that using ad blockers violates YouTube’s Terms of Service.
Google is now pushing users to either accept ads or switch to YouTube Premium, which removes ads for a monthly fee.
Previously, YouTube tested blocking users entirely if they had an ad blocker active.
Some were shown warnings that their access would be restricted after a certain number of videos unless they disabled the extension.
Now, instead of blocking access, the platform appears to be taking a different approach—making ad-blocking so frustrating that users give up.
At the moment, this issue mainly affects those watching on a PC. YouTube’s ad system for mobile and TV currently limits ads to 15 seconds on mobile and 60 seconds on smart TVs.
It remains unclear if Google will extend these long ads to other devices in the future.
This change is part of Google’s ongoing battle to protect its advertising revenue.
Many users are now debating whether to accept ads, pay for YouTube Premium, or find another way around the restrictions.
Either way, it’s clear that Google is not backing down in its fight against ad blockers.
