YOUTUBE is following in the footsteps of Netflix by crackdown on a common money-saving loophole.
Users have reportedly started receiving emails warning them that failure to comply could see their membership being “paused”.
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YouTube Premium is a popular paid bonus for those who want to watch videos without ads, as well as accessing higher quality.
Much like Netflix, there are options to allow account sharing – but you’re only supposed to use it with those in your household.
A YouTube Premium Family plan costs £20 / $23 and allows an extra five people to access the same benefits.
YouTube hasn’t really enforced the rules on users having to live in the same household until now.
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Subscribers have started receiving emails warning them that Google’s systems are able to detect if every user isn’t at the same physical address, according to Android Police.
Every 30 days, an electronic check-in will check this.
“Your YouTube Premium family membership will be paused,” the email title says.
“Your YouTube Premium family membership requires all members to be in the same household as the family manager.
“It appears you may not be in the same household as your family manager, and your membership will be paused in 14 days.
“Once your access is paused, you will remain in your family group and be able to watch YouTube with ads, but will no longer have YouTube Premium benefits.”
Reacting on social media, people are threatening to cancel their plans over the move.
“Honestly these restrictions and crackdowns are only push some folks back to pirating or just use free services,” one person wrote on Reddit.
“Especially given how everything are becoming subscription-based and force to pay more for “AI features”.”
Another commented: “I know for a fact that none of the people on my family plan will start paying for it themselves if they can’t use mine, and if I can’t share it with them I’m going back to the cheaper individual plan.
“Guess Google doesn’t like money.”
The move comes as Google – who bought YouTube in 2006 for 1.65billion dollars – explores new premium options.
A tier for two people only has been tested in a handful of countries since May.
And in the same month bosses introduced a YouTube Premium Lite option for £7.99 a month.
YouTube Premium Lite remove ads on most YouTube clips, but won’t take them off music videos, nor will they disappear from Shorts and when you’re searching or browsing YouTube.
WHICH YOUTUBE PLAN IS BEST FOR ME?
Here are the differences at a glance…
YouTube Premium Lite
- Ad-free YouTube videos (mostly)
- Ad-free YouTube Kids (mostly)
Price: £7.99 / $7.99 per month (Cancel anytime)
YouTube Premium Individual
- Ad-free YouTube videos (totally)
- Ad-free YouTube Kids (totally)
- Ad-free YouTube Music app
- Download and play offline
- Background Play
Price: £12.99 / $13.99 per month (Cancel anytime)
YouTube Premium Family
- Ad-free YouTube videos (totally)
- Ad-free YouTube Kids (totally)
- Ad-free YouTube Music app
- Download and play offline
- Background Play
- Share all these perks with up to five family members in your household
Price: £19.99 / $22.99 per month (Cancel anytime)
Picture Credit: Google / YouTube
