Yahoo Mail Stops Users With Ad Blockers From Accessing the Service

Yahoo is blocking some users with ad-blocking extensions installed on their Web browsers from accessing Yahoo Mail. Few users took to Adblock Plus' message board to report this issue. They noted that they were unable to access Yahoo Mail using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox if the browser had the ad-blocking extension installed. A Yahoo spokesperson has confirmed that the company is indeed testing this feature.

Users are being asked to disable ad-blocking software to continue using Yahoo Mail. Among several users who noticed this issue on Yahoo Mail is Andrei Herasimchuk, former Senior Director of Product Design at Yahoo, who once worked on Mail. Miffed by Yahoo's move, he said he is going to quit Yahoo Mail and switch to Apple Mail. "It was a good run, I guess. Goodbye! Hello Apple Mail, as much as I hate it," he tweeted.

As the debate around the use of ad-blocking software continues, most recently brought into the spotlight with support for such apps in Apple's iOS 9 mobile operating system, many publishers and networks are exploring different options to mitigate revenue loss that these ad-blocking technologies are imposing. A spokesperson of Yahoo confirmed to Engadget that the company is indeed testing this feature.

"At Yahoo, we are continually developing and testing new product experiences. This is a test we're running for a small number of Yahoo Mail users in the US." The move comes as Yahoo's advertising revenue continues to dwindle. The company recently partnered with Google for advertising and search.

If you're also facing this issue, you might want to disable your ad-blocker app to regain access to Yahoo Mail. Alternatively, you can use a different email client such as Microsoft's Outlook.