YouTube users hiding their location through virtual private networks (VPNs) to get cheaper premium memberships may sound like a danger.
In the US, Google charges individual users $14 per month YouTube Premium, which limits ads and offers some additional features. However, prices vary greatly in different regions, and Some Reddit users Said they used to get better deals by pretending to access the service from other countries, PCMag and TechCrunch the report said. According to reports, Google charges the equivalent of $3 or less per month in Argentina, India, Turkey, Ukraine and the Philippines. Android Authority. However, this solution has clearly failed.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story, but support staff at the internet giant reportedly told PCMag that YouTube had recently begun canceling a premium program “for accounts deemed to have falsified country/region information.” A YouTube assistance If potential subscribers encounter an error when signing up for Premium, the page instructs them to turn off the VPN.
Crucially, VPNs have many uses, and Google even once sold one; this Google One service ceases to exist in April, apparently because of its unpopularity. Some people may use VPNs in search of discounts, but others rely on VPNs to access content and features that aren’t available where they live.
The apparent crackdown is just the latest move by Google to squeeze more revenue from the video site. Google has also recently Stepping up the crackdown on ad blockers Prevents users of services such as AdBlock from viewing YouTube videos.
