YouTube has begun cracking down on users who use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to change their internet access country and subscribe to the paid service YouTube Premium at a cheaper cost.
According to The Verge, YouTube is intensifying its crackdown on users whose YouTube Premium subscription country does not match their actual location.
YouTube has been sending membership cancellation notifications to those who have deceived the system by using VPNs to subscribe to YouTube Premium at a lower cost.
The email reportedly states that the YouTube Premium membership is being canceled because the subscription country listed is inaccurate. It also mentions that if the recipient wishes to continue using the membership, they must re-subscribe to YouTube Premium within a few weeks.
Previously, in February, YouTube announced that it would strengthen its crackdown on bypass subscriptions. YouTube explained, “If you are away from the country where you purchased the membership for more than six months, YouTube may suspend your membership.”
YouTube Premium users resort to circumvention subscriptions because the premium subscription fee varies by country. In South Korea, the monthly fee is about $10, but in India, it is about $1.50; in Turkey, it is $1.80, which is relatively cheaper.
YouTube has been setting the YouTube Premium subscription fee differently based on each country’s environment, but some users have taken advantage of this by using VPNs to access YouTube from countries with lower subscription fees, pretending to reside there. YouTube has now started cracking down on such activities.
A YouTube official stated, “YouTube has a system to verify user locations,” and added, “If the subscription country does not match the country where the user accesses YouTube, we are asking members to update their payment information to their current residing country.”
