The recent move by YouTube to issue warnings to those using ad blockers has led to many users uninstalling these extensions. According to reports from ad-blocking apps, there has been a surge in the number of uninstalls since YouTube’s actions began.
AdGuard sees a rise in uninstalls
AdGuard, a well-known ad-blocking company, has observed a dramatic increase in the rate of uninstalls of its Chrome extension. Speaking to Wired, AdGuard’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrey Meshkov, noted that daily uninstalls jumped from 6,000 to over 11,000 since October 9. On October 18 alone, a staggering 52,000 users removed the AdGuard extension. Despite this, the company has seen a silver lining with an uptick in subscriptions to its paid version, which remains unaffected by YouTube’s new policy.
Other ad blockers experience mixed impacts
Ghostery, another ad-blocking provider, reported steady usage in October, with daily installs and uninstalls increasing three to fivefold. The company highlighted that over 90% of users when asked, confirmed they removed the ad blocker due to its incompatibility with YouTube. In an interesting twist, some users have been seeking alternatives to Chrome, with Ghostery witnessing a 30% increase in its installations for Microsoft’s Edge browser in October, suggesting that users are searching for workarounds.
The financial angle
YouTube’s stringent stance on ad blockers comes at a time when ad revenue is becoming increasingly vital for Google. The tech giant reported over US$22 billion in YouTube ad sales from the start of the year to September. In parallel, YouTube is nudging viewers towards its Premium service, which, aside from removing ads, allows for video downloads, higher-quality streaming, and access to YouTube Music. Earlier in the year, the price for YouTube Premium was increased by US$2, bringing it to US$14 per month, as part of the platform’s strategy to convert more users to its paid services.
