YouTube is now cracking down on customers who use digital non-public networks (VPNs) to get a less expensive premium subscription, in keeping with claims by customers on social media. Over the previous few 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 certainly one of its income streams – YouTube Premium subscriptions.
Crackdown on VPN customers
In a publish titled “Automated YouTube Premium Cancellation?” on the YouTube subreddit, person @Alopez1024 shared a screenshot exhibiting an alleged e mail from the video-streaming service concerning the cancellation of the premium subscription. The e-mail knowledgeable the person of them dropping the advantages of YouTube Premium, whereas additionally guiding them by means of 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 illustration, 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 nearly 10 p.c of the US value.
Because of this disparity, some customers might have navigated to the YouTube web site through VPN in areas the place its premium subscription is cheaper, to get it. That is the very subject that YouTube is alleged to be tackling with its newest transfer.
YouTube’s response
In a dialog with TechCrunch, a YouTube spokesperson stated, “To offer probably the most correct plans and presents accessible, now we have programs 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 value hikes. The worth of Spotify Premium not too long ago noticed a rise for the second time in 12 months. YouTube Premium’s subscription costs have been additionally hiked in July 2023 to $13.99 monthly, up from $11.99 (roughly Rs. 1,000).
