YouTube is now cracking down on users who use virtual private networks (VPNs) to get a cheaper premium subscription, according to claims by users on the social media site. Over the past few months, the video streaming service has focused heavily on addressing the issue of third-party ad blockers violating its terms of service. However, it now seems to have turned its attention to another of its revenue streams: YouTube Premium subscriptions.
Crackdown on VPN users
In a post titled “Auto Cancel YouTube Premium?” on the YouTube subreddit, user @Alopez1024 shared a screenshot showing an alleged email from the video streaming service about canceling the premium subscription. The email informed the user that they had lost their YouTube Premium benefits, while also guiding them through the process to regain it.
In the comments, several users pointed out that this may be happening to those who use a VPN to get a cheaper subscription. It's worth noting that YouTube Premium, like many other subscription services, isn't priced the same everywhere. For example, it starts at $13.99 (roughly Rs. 1,170) per month in the US for the individual plan. On the other hand, the same plan costs Rs. 129 per month in India, which is almost 10 percent of the US price.
Because of this disparity, some users may have been browsing the YouTube website via VPN in regions where their premium membership is cheaper to get. That's the same problem YouTube is said to be addressing with its latest move.
YouTube response
In a conversation with TechCrunch, a YouTube spokesperson said: “In order to provide the most accurate plans and offers available, we have systems in place to determine the country of our users. In cases where the country of registration does not match the site where the user accesses YouTube, we ask members to update their billing information to their current country of residence.”
Streaming services have recently witnessed periodic price hikes. The price of Spotify Premium recently increased for the second time in 12 months. YouTube Premium subscription prices were also increased in July 2023 to $13.99 per month, up from $11.99 (roughly Rs. 1,000).
