March 14 (UPI) -- A third-party app that allowed Android users to bypass YouTube Premium fees and block ads has been shut down over legal reasons.
YouTube allows users to pay for an ad-free subscription to YouTube Premium to avoid watching advertisements while YouTube creators can earn revenue from their work. Android users have been able to use the third-party app Vanced to block ads without paying.
However, Vanced announced on Sunday on Twitter that it "has been discontinued."
"In the coming days, the download links on the website will be taken down," Vanced added in the tweet. "We know this is not something you wanted to hear but it's something we need to do. Thank you all for supporting us over the years."
Developers said on the Vanced Telegram channel, the move was "done due to legal reasons."
The Vanced shutdown also followed a legal threat from Google, The Verge reported, noting that the app will continue to work for now if people have it installed on Android, but will probably stop working without any future updates soon.
A Vanced administrator told The Verge the app received a cease and desist letter recently asking it "to remove all references to 'YouTube,' change the logo and remove all links related to YouTube products."
Google previously forced Rythm and Groovy Discord music bots, which also skipped ads, offline.
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