YouTube seems to be taking a firm stance against Premium subscribers trying to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to access cheaper subscription prices in other countries.
This week, several users participated Reddit to express their frustration after canceling their Premium plans for using a VPN to purchase the subscription outside of their designated region.
VPNs are typically used to protect user privacy and prevent cyberattacks, but they can also hide a user’s IP address, which can be tracked to a specific geographic location. VPNs can also display a specific country of origin, allowing users to appear as if they are based in a different country where YouTube Premium may be less expensive.
The company confirmed to TechCrunch that it can detect when a subscriber is lying about their country of registration and the system will prompt the user to update their billing information.
“To provide the most accurate plans and offers available, we have systems in place to determine the country of our users,” a YouTube spokesperson told us. “In cases where the country of registration does not match where the user accesses YouTube, we ask members to update their billing information to their current country of residence.”
However, the company declined to talk to us about any cancellations. A Google support representative, on the other hand, had told PCMag that YouTube “has begun canceling premium memberships for accounts identified as having falsified country of registration information.” The agent also said that the wave of cancellations started recently and that users who violate the rule will receive an email and an in-app notification that their plans have been canceled.
The alleged crackdown comes a year after YouTube raised prices for US subscribers, which raised the price of Premium for individuals from $12 to $14 a month.
