It’s no secret that many YouTube clients use location spoofing services to connect to a Premium subscription at lower prices in another country, as well as to use a subscription where it is not available at all. YouTube has now begun automatically canceling Premium plans purchased outside of the user’s home region.
Impact on Users
Numerous sources report the termination of subscriptions purchased abroad. YouTube technical support found it difficult to name a specific date for the start of repression against thrifty users. Note that Google’s new policy may directly affect Russians, because it is currently impossible to connect to YouTube Premium in the country, so those who wish to bypass the restrictions through other countries.
But mainly Google’s new crackdown is aimed at people who want to save money. Many YouTube users used a VPN to purchase Premium subscriptions at lower prices. For example, when purchasing from Ukraine, a monthly subscription to YouTube Premium costs about $2.40 per month, while in the US or UK this service costs no less than $14.
Confirmation and Notifications
A Google support representative confirmed that “YouTube has initiated cancellation of premium memberships for accounts that have been found to have falsified country of origin information,” notes NIXSolutions. YouTube technical support said that “due to a violation of YouTube’s paid terms of service, these users will receive an email and in-app notification informing them of the cancellation.”
We’ll keep you updated on any further developments regarding YouTube’s policies and how they may impact users worldwide.