YouTube is now enforcing stricter rules on its Premium Family plans, following the same path as Netflix and Disney+. The company has started sending alerts to users who are accessing Premium through a Family group but live in a different location than the family manager.
According to these alerts, affected members will have their Premium access paused in 14 days if they don’t meet the requirements.
Why This Is Happening
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YouTube’s terms of service for Premium Family have always stated that all members of a plan must live in the same household as the family manager. While this rule isn’t new, YouTube is only now starting to enforce it. The move is widely seen as a push to drive more revenue, since people losing access may have to purchase their own subscription.
No Cheaper Alternative Yet
Unlike Netflix, which came with a cheaper alternative to its subscribers, YouTube doesn’t offer a lower-cost option for people outside the household to rejoin. For now, the only choices are:
- Pay for a full YouTube Premium subscription
- Or stop using the service altogether
It’s unclear if YouTube will ever add a middle-ground option like Netflix’s “extra member” system, which lets users pay a smaller fee to keep sharing across households. With this, the extra member does not necessarily have to share the same geographical location as the original holder of the premium account
What It Means for YouTube Users
If you’re on a YouTube Premium Family plan but live apart from the family manager, your account could be paused soon. The stricter enforcement is a reminder that streaming services are clamping down on password and account sharing to maximize profits.
For now, YouTube subscribers outside the household will need to decide if the ad-free viewing, background play, and music streaming perks are worth paying the full subscription price.
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