Residents in Russia were not included in a new test of a YouTube video hosting feature designed to counter ad blockers, according to a source familiar with the situation cited by TASS.
One insider stated that Russia is not taking part in the test. During the trial, viewers were encouraged to permit ads on YouTube or to consider subscribing to YouTube Premium as an alternative to watching with ads.
YouTube’s press service noted that the ad blocker initiative is a modest, multi country experiment aimed at nudging viewers to accept ads on YouTube or to opt for a Premium subscription.
A YouTube spokesperson commented that detecting ad blockers is not new and that other publishers also prompt audiences to disable ad blockers.
Previously, users employing ad blockers on YouTube were presented with pop up messages indicating that their experience would be blocked unless they subscribed or allowed ads. The guidance remains to subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience or to continue watching with ads.
Since spring 2022, Russian users have not seen advertisements while watching YouTube videos without a Premium subscription. Monetization for Russian bloggers has also been disabled when the video is viewed by someone in Russia. At the same time, Russians still need Premium to listen to videos in the background.