Twitch follows suit: Will Adblock users soon be banned altogether? Following in the footsteps of YouTube, the popular streaming platform could be facing tougher rules.
A never-ending battle: Social platforms are relentlessly fighting against ad blockers like AdBlock and uBlock Origin.
A few months ago, YouTube introduced a strict rule: anyone using an ad blocker can no longer watch videos until they disable it.
Now, it seems Twitch is following suit. Given the flood of advertisements in digital media, the user dissatisfaction is not surprising.
Even with many paid subscriptions, ad-free content is not guaranteed. Often, you have to choose the most expensive option to enjoy all content without ads.
Are similar steps now looming for the world’s most popular streaming platform?
New Pop-Up in Testing Phase?
Since January 13, more and more tweets have appeared, showing users sharing screenshots where they received a pop-up asking them to disable their ad blockers.
Two variations can be observed. In the first version, users only get a message suggesting they buy Twitch Turbo for $11.99 to avoid ads.
Twitch has started experimenting with prompts to turn off adblockers or get Turbo. pic.twitter.com/Qj01qdioln
— Zach Bussey (@zachbussey) January 13, 2025
This subtle hint already clearly indicates Twitch's new direction regarding ad blockers.
Even though it is still possible to simply click Return to Stream, this option is likely to disappear very soon.
However, there are also images of what appears to be a complete blocking of ad blockers.
In these cases, Twitch Turbo is not even suggested, but users are directly asked to disable their ad blockers.
been having this happen to me like ads still play for me?? but it sends this and I'm scared that like it'll be a youtube thing where I get in trouble for my adblocker but it's not even working on twitch ;-; pic.twitter.com/BqJVsboCkj
— Ebyssa (@Ebyssa) January 15, 2025
Again, the option to return to the stream without following the request still exists, but it is expected to be phased out soon.
It seems the responsible parties want to thoroughly test this new technique before rolling it out globally.
Impact on Users
User reactions to these developments are mixed. While some understand that ads help fund the platform, others find the increasing number of ad interruptions annoying.
Regular viewers, especially those who have relied on free usage, are particularly critical of these new measures.
Another point of criticism is the pricing of Twitch Turbo. Many users feel that the $11.99 monthly fee is too high, especially compared to other streaming services that offer both ad-free experiences and exclusive content.
How many of you still use Adblockers regularly? Tell us in the comments!