YouTube, which is owned by Google, is experimenting with a three-strike penalty for individuals who use ad blockers.

A Reddit user found this first, and the company has since verified the test to Android Authority.

“We’re running a small experiment around the world to encourage viewers with ad blockers to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium.

“Ad blocker detection is not new, and other publishers routinely request that viewers disable ad blockers,” a YouTube spokeswoman stated.

The business also explained how the policy works and stated that “ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service”, IANS reported from San Francisco.

Users who are affected would see “repeated notifications” urging them to authorize advertisements on the platform. “Playback will be temporarily disabled in extreme cases where viewers continue to use ad blockers,” the company explained.

The company also stated that suspending video playback is taken “very seriously,” and that it will only disable playback if customers consistently refuse requests to disable ad blocking on the platform.

“If viewers believe they have been falsely identified as using an ad blocker, they can share this feedback by clicking on the link in the prompt,” it added.