Ad blocking remains a friction point between consumers seeking cleaner digital experiences and platforms protecting ad revenue. While comprehensive usage data is limited, platform enforcement actions and user responses in 2025 reveal how this standoff is evolving. This FAQ examines what's verifiable about ad blocking today and what marketers should watch in 2026.

What is ad blocking?

Ad blocking is the removal or alteration of advertising in digital channels using software or browser settings. Consumers deploy these tools across desktop, mobile, and connected TV devices to eliminate ads from their browsing experience.

The ecosystem includes browser extensions like AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, and uBlock Origin, which filter ads on specific browsers. Privacy-focused browsers such as Brave, Arc Browser, and Opera include built-in ad blocking. Ghostery focuses specifically on tracker blocking and data anonymization.

How widespread is ad blocking?

Over half (52%) of consumers across 48 global markets have installed or used an ad blocker on their web browser or mobile device, according to January 2024 data from YouGov. That percentage is slightly smaller in the US, where 45% of consumers have installed or used an ad blocker on their web browser or mobile device.

GWI research found 21% of global consumers use ad blockers regularly and another 11% use them now and then. Ad blocker adoption is highest among younger, male consumers, particularly those ages 25 to 34.

Why do consumers block ads?

A 2024 survey by eyeo and The Harris Poll found that 96% of ad-filtering users take active steps to protect their privacy online, indicating privacy concerns remain a primary driver.

Broader industry research points to several motivations:

• Ad volume and intrusiveness. Users report feeling overwhelmed by ad frequency, particularly autoplay video and interstitial formats.
• Privacy and tracking concerns. Awareness of data collection practices continues to grow.
• Performance. Ad-heavy pages slow loading times and consume mobile bandwidth.

These motivations suggest blocking is a response to ad experience quality, not advertising itself.

How is YouTube responding to ad blocking?

YouTube has mounted the most aggressive platform crackdown on ad blocking, escalating enforcement through 2024 and 2025.

The platform began testing restrictions in mid-2023, warning users with ad blockers that video playback would be limited. By June 2025, YouTube had closed additional loopholes and begun intentionally slowing video loading for users with active blockers, per Tom's Hardware.

User response has been mixed. All About Cookies surveyed 1,000 US YouTube users and found:

• Traffic to YouTube ad blocker pages spiked 336% in the month following the crackdown
• Only 11% of users said they were less likely to use blockers as a result
• 22% said the crackdown made them more likely to seek ad-blocking solutions
• Most users remain unwilling to pay for YouTube Premium as an alternative

The cat-and-mouse dynamic continues, with blocking tools adapting to YouTube's detection methods.

What other platform changes affect ad blocking?

Beyond YouTube, two developments are reshaping the ad-blocking landscape:

Google's Manifest V3 restrictions. Google's updated extension framework limits the capabilities of Chrome-based ad blockers like uBlock Origin, which relied on older APIs for effective blocking. This has pushed some users toward Firefox (which maintains broader extension support) or browsers with built-in blocking like Brave.

Growth of browsers with native blocking. Brave surpassed 100 million monthly active users in October 2025, with ad and tracker blocking enabled by default. This represents a shift from extension-based blocking (which platforms can target) toward browser-level blocking (which is harder to detect and counter).

Acceptable Ads program. Eyeo's initiative, which allows non-intrusive ads meeting specific criteria, has grown to over 400 million users as of 2025. This offers publishers a partial recovery path, though it requires ads to meet strict format guidelines.

What should marketers consider in 2026?

With platform enforcement intensifying and blocking tools adapting, marketers should focus on what they can control:

• Format selection. Native and contextual ads integrated into content feeds face lower blocking rates than standard display units served through ad networks, though specific bypass rates are difficult to verify.
• Ad experience quality. With ad volume and intrusiveness driving blocking adoption, lighter ad loads and less disruptive formats may reduce the motivation to block.
• Measurement gaps. Ad blockers often block analytics alongside ads. Assess what percentage of your target audience likely uses blockers and how that affects data completeness before making budget decisions.
• Platform diversification. YouTube's crackdown demonstrates platform-specific risk. Audiences on platforms with built-in blocking (like Brave) or strong blocking cultures require different approaches.

The absence of recent comprehensive data makes precise sizing difficult, but platform actions confirm ad blocking remains material enough to warrant strategic attention.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.

EMARKETER forecast data was current at publication and may have changed. EMARKETER clients have access to up-to-date forecast data. To explore EMARKETER solutions, click here.