YouTube might slow down videos if you use ad-blockers

It may not be your imagination — YouTube might be slowing down your videos if you use an ad-blocker.

PCWorld spotted new rumors floating online on Reddit and elsewhere that folks using ad-blockers are seeing throttled speeds.

Now, to be clear, this has not been confirmed. But it’s far from the first time folks have felt this way. Early last year, for instance, users saw degraded quality and performance when using an ad-blocker, which YouTube ultimately said was not its doing.

This go-round, users have reported seeing a pop-up message reading, “Experiencing interruptions?” That message reportedly led to a page which indicated ad-blockers could affect video playback. Still, this is not full confirmation that YouTube is slowing down your videos if you use an ad-blocker.

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YouTube, for its part, said folks using ad-blockers are violating its terms of service and could see lesser performance.

“Ads are a vital lifeline for our creators that helps them grow their businesses and create more content,” a YouTube representative wrote in a statement to Mashable. “The use of ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service and we’ve been urging users for some time to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience. As we’ve said before, viewers using ad blockers may have a suboptimal viewing experience, which includes delays in loading.”

Ads are obviously a major way YouTube brings in revenue and, again, using a blocker is against its terms of service. Just this month it ramped-up the number of ads for users who pay $7.99 per month for its Premium Lite service.

UPDATE: Jun. 17, 2025, 11:22 a.m. This story was updated to include a statement from YouTube