YouTube cracks down on Premium Household sharing with non-family customers

When you’re paying for a YouTube Premium account, you have to be additional cautious going ahead. Based on preliminary experiences, Google is seemingly taking elevated motion towards account sharing, and the corporate has reportedly already despatched some emails to account holders who’re sharing premium advantages with individuals who don’t reside in the identical family.

Based on YouTube’s official tips, this has been prohibited since 2023, again when Netflix launched stricter guidelines towards password sharing, prompting different streaming providers to observe swimsuit.

There have additionally been repeated experiences of YouTube cancelling low-cost subscriptions from overseas—which had been usually subscribed to utilizing a VPN service—with out warning. That is notably annoying for anybody who would in any other case be unable to afford YouTube Premium but continues to be prepared to pay YouTube one thing for the privilege of premium options.

14-day deadline

Affected customers who obtain an electronic mail from YouTube are apparently knowledgeable of a 14-day deadline. After this era, all premium options (resembling ad-free viewing and offline downloads) can be cancelled, no matter how a lot time truly stays on the subscription.

The YouTube account itself will apparently not be blocked. There’s solely speak of blocking the household membership. Presumably, all customers (aside from the account holder) can be banned if YouTube detects a violation of the family guidelines.

YouTube checks your location

Based on YouTube, it makes use of location checks with IP addresses and GPS each 30 days to examine whether or not customers on a premium plan are in the identical family. The respective area can also be in contrast with the account settings with the intention to expose pricing arbitrage from overseas.

This process isn’t but 100% foolproof, as there are nonetheless many customers who share their premium plans however haven’t but been caught. Conversely, it’s additionally attainable for respectable members of the family to be inadvertently categorised as non-household members in the event that they’re away for too lengthy (e.g., on account of touring or learning).

What you are able to do

When you obtain such an electronic mail from YouTube however haven’t truly shared your account past your family, you’ll be able to stop the account block by contacting YouTube assist. When you can show that every one customers are in the identical family, YouTube ought to elevate the block.

In any other case, for those who’ve been caught out, it’s possible you’ll need to think about adjusting your subscription. Whereas YouTube Premium Household prices $22.99/month, you may want to go particular person with YouTube Premium Lite for simply $7.99/month. For reference, particular person YouTube Premium prices $13.99/month.