Foreign media reported on the 19th (local time) that YouTube is sending membership cancellation emails to some members who have paid for YouTube premium services in other countries using a VPN (virtual private network).
According to reports, some users who signed up for premium membership through a VPN have recently been receiving membership cancellation emails from YouTube. The email states, "Because you did not provide your actual country of residence when signing up, your YouTube Premium membership has been terminated and you will need to re-register for YouTube Premium in the coming weeks to maintain your membership."
YouTube Premium membership subscription fees vary by country. For example, the American YouTube membership subscription fee is $13.99, but the Ukrainian membership subscription fee is only $2.44.
Therefore, many users are using VPNs to sign up for premium membership in countries with low subscription fees, and a bypass method of signing up using a VPN client that changes the IP address to a foreign country is being shared among users.
Foreign media said, "YouTube probably knows which customers used the VPN trick," and added, "For the past few years, it has been possible to sign up for YouTube's premium service without any problems using a VPN, but it will be difficult in the future."