Seems like YouTube is taking the Netflix way. The video-sharing platform is reportedly cracking down on password sharing by restricting users from accessing YouTube Premium outside their household, much like what Netflix has been doing for months. YouTube Premium Family has become popular recently as it offers ad-free videos, music streaming via YouTube Music, and the ability to share the plan. Many users have been sharing their passwords as a way for friends and relatives to save on subscription costs. But this practice is clearly hurting YouTube’s revenue.
According to a report by Android Police, YouTube has started sending emails to users who appear to be accessing Premium Family plans while not living in the same household. One such email, titled “Your YouTube Premium family membership will be paused”, reads:
“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.”
This email makes it clear that YouTube is tightening its verification processes for family plan eligibility. Notably, the platform already carries out an “electronic check-in” roughly every 30 days to ensure that all members of a family plan live at the same address. In the past, failing this check-in didn’t really have any consequences, but YouTube is now starting to enforce the rules more strictly.
The YouTube Premium Family plan, priced at Rs 299 per month in India, allows up to five additional members to enjoy ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music. The catch, however, has always been that all members must reside at the same address. While this requirement has existed for quite some time, YouTube had been rather lax in enforcing it, allowing friends and distant relatives to be part of the same plan. The new crackdown signals that Google is taking subscription sharing much more seriously.
Interestingly, this enforcement comes just weeks after YouTube began testing a two-person Premium plan, which could serve as a middle ground for couples or flatmates who don’t fit the “family household” definition. By making the family plan more restrictive while offering smaller, cheaper alternatives, YouTube appears to be following Netflix’s playbook — discouraging widespread sharing while nudging users towards legitimate paid tiers.
Notably, reports of cancelled Premium access remain scattered for now. Apart from isolated posts on Reddit and a handful of user complaints, the crackdown does not yet seem to be widespread. But we might see YouTube sending this notice to more users soon. Android Police also notes that flagged users will meanwhile have the option to contact Google through a support form to “confirm eligibility and maintain access.”
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