YouTube adds new hurdles for ad blockers, and there’s currently no way around it

Source: Android Authority

TL;DR

• YouTube is limiting comments and video descriptions for certain users.
• The common root cause appears to be their use of an ad blocker on the web.
• The issue also affects some YouTube Premium users.

Overview

With it being the largest video and entertainment platform in the world, it can be maddening when YouTube doesn’t work as it should. Something similar is happening now, with scores of users reporting issues on the platform, and it may be intentional.

Over the past few days, the YouTube subreddit has been filled with several reports (via PiunikaWeb) of YouTube blocking comments on videos. Users see a message stating “Comments are turned off,” which appears across a wide range of videos. Dozens of users have corroborated facing this issue.

It also appears to extend beyond comments, as YouTube has been blocking video descriptions for some users. In addition to Reddit, similar reports appear on platforms such as X. The issue may also affect YouTube Premium users who employ ad blockers, which can be very frustrating.

Based on users’ comments, this seems to be YouTube’s latest crusade against users skipping ads without paying, as the common root cause in each case is the use of ad blockers. People using browsers with built‑in blockers for ads and trackers, such as Brave, have also reported similar issues.

Is using an ad blocker on YouTube limiting comments for you?

YouTube’s action is further confirmed by numerous forum posts and X posts saying that comments return when ad blockers are turned off, clearly signalling the video giant’s attempt to deter ad‑blocker use.

The tactic does not apply to all YouTube users with ad blockers, at least for now. In our testing, both comments and descriptions were visible. However, given the high volume of reports, we cannot override ad blockers, as YouTube’s opposition to them is at the core of the issue.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, you might want to turn off your ad blocker. Alternatively, you can use a VPN and tunnel your internet through Vietnam, where YouTube must now allow ads to be skipped under five seconds, following a recent government order.