YouTube is now cracking down on customers who use digital personal networks (VPNs) to get a less expensive premium subscription, in accordance with claims by customers on social media. Over the previous couple of months, the video-streaming service has been closely specializing in tackling the difficulty of third-party advert blockers which violate its phrases of service. Nonetheless, it now appears to have diverted its consideration to a different considered one of its income streams – YouTube Premium subscriptions.
Crackdown on VPN customers
In a put up titled “Computerized YouTube Premium Cancellation?” on the YouTube subreddit, person @Alopez1024 shared a screenshot displaying an alleged electronic mail from the video-streaming service relating to the cancellation of the premium subscription. The e-mail knowledgeable the person of them dropping the advantages of YouTube Premium, whereas additionally guiding them via the method of getting it again.
Within the feedback, a number of customers highlighted that this can be occurring to these utilizing a VPN to get a less expensive subscription. Notably, YouTube Premium, like many different subscription companies, is not priced the identical all over the place. As an example, it begins at $13.99 (roughly Rs. 1,170) monthly within the US for the Particular person plan. Then again, the identical plan prices Rs. 129 monthly in India, which is sort of 10 % of the US worth.
As a result of this disparity, some customers might have navigated to the YouTube web site by way of VPN in areas the place its premium subscription is cheaper, to get it. That is the very concern that YouTube is alleged to be tackling with its newest transfer.
YouTube’s response
In a dialog with TechCrunch, a YouTube spokesperson stated, “To supply essentially the most correct plans and affords out there, we’ve got methods in place to find out the nation of our customers. In situations the place the signup nation doesn’t match the place the person is accessing YouTube, we’re asking members to replace their billing data to their present nation of residence.”
Streaming companies as of late have been witnessing periodic worth hikes. The value of Spotify Premium just lately noticed a rise for the second time in 12 months. YouTube Premium’s subscription costs had been additionally hiked in July 2023 to $13.99 monthly, up from $11.99 (roughly Rs. 1,000).