The unofficial era of sharing streaming service accounts may be drawing to a close at one of the last major platforms where it was still tolerated. While YouTube’s terms of service have always stipulated that all members of a Premium Family plan must live at the same address, the company had not previously been known for actively enforcing this rule. This leniency, however, appears to be ending as the platform has begun taking steps to suspend accounts that do not comply with this policy, much like Netflix did in a similar move two years prior.
Users of YouTube Premium are now reporting that they are receiving emails from the platform informing them of their account’s suspension due to a violation of this household policy. A user who shared one of these emails with Android Police revealed the message explicitly stating, “Your YouTube Premium family membership requires all members to be in the same household as the family manager.” The email further warned that the user’s membership would be paused within 14 days, implying a temporary suspension rather than an immediate and permanent termination.
The communications being sent to these users specify the consequences of this policy violation. The individual would retain their position within the family group and could still access the platform to watch videos, but they would lose all the benefits associated with their Premium membership, most notably the ad-free viewing experience. They would also lose access to other perks, such as background playback and the ability to download videos for offline viewing. This phased approach to enforcement offers a clear warning and a 14-day window before the benefits are stripped away.
While this new enforcement seems to be a significant change, reports from users suggest the crackdown is not yet universal. According to Android Police, the issue does not appear to be widespread at this time. However, some Reddit users have been sharing similar experiences of receiving these emails for several months, with some even reporting that their memberships were completely canceled after the initial 14-day suspension period had expired. This suggests that YouTube’s enforcement efforts may have been underway for some time and are now becoming more visible.
In response to the growing number of user reports, a YouTube spokesperson issued a statement to Cybernews, affirming that “Our family plan policy hasn’t changed and we are continuously enforcing it.” This statement clarifies that the company’s actions are not a new policy but rather a renewed and more aggressive enforcement of an existing one. This strategy aligns with a broader industry trend initiated by Netflix in 2023, which was the first major streaming service to end password-sharing to boost its paid subscriber numbers. Other companies, including Disney, have since followed suit in a similar bid to monetize their user base more effectively.
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