End of an Era: YouTube Premium Tightens Restrictions on VPN Signups

LFayble1212 on 28/12/2023 - 19:03
Last edited 05/01/2024 - 15:45

Google (YouTube) are rolling out ads for Premium subscribers that aren’t using their VPN in the country they signed up with.

My current subscription is: UAH 149.00/mo (Family Account)

I’ve also started getting ads in YouTube Music.

This is obviously to combat those who use VPN for cheaper subscriptions.

screenshot here
screenshot 2

Edit: 2/1/24

  • YouTube Premium logo no longer appearing in YouTube app top left corner
  • YouTube no longer plays in the background on mobile when phone is locked
  • YouTube Music is no longer allowing unlimited skips
  • New Pop-up has appeared (screenshot 2)
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Comments

  • localhost on 28/12/2023 - 19:15
    +8

    Firefox + uBlock = adfree youtube :)

    • Master Bates on 28/12/2023 - 19:28
      +4

      Brave (a Chromium based browser) also blocks adverts by default.

    • Speckled Jim on 29/12/2023 - 09:27

      I've been getting adblock detection diags for weeks. Toggle, works for a while then it's back and blocks playback.
      FF 115.6.0esr and Ublock Origin 1.5.3.0 (Win PC)

      • localhost on 29/12/2023 - 13:51
        +1

        FF 121 and uBlockOrigin 1.5.4 - no problems at all.

  • BoltThrower on 28/12/2023 - 19:29
    +5

    uBlock Origin works. Updates are frequent, so if you're seeing a warning about using a blocker, purge cache and update. Don't combine with other blockers.

  • conant on 28/12/2023 - 19:31

    So the only solution will be registering via VPN and visit YouTube via VPN as well…

    • Fayble1212 on 28/12/2023 - 19:36

      Seems to be the only solution, which sucks because if you’re on average internet and VPNing to India / Romania etc it slows down the service, and the suggestions are local to the country

  • Hvrd on 28/12/2023 - 19:41

    i havent seen any ads using youtube app on my samsung tv

  • Loot N Plunder on 28/12/2023 - 20:34
    +2

    Its happening everywhere and its getting beyond a joke
    Now we have Amazon Prime joining the band wagon

    Amazon Prime Video will start showing ads
    ads will begin rolling out in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Canada on the same day i.e. Jan. 29. They will be followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia
    Prime members wishing to keep their viewing experience ad-free can pay an additional $2.99 per month in the U.S.
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/12/27/amazon-prime…

    • freefall101 on 28/12/2023 - 21:37
      +1

      Pretty smart move, really (albeit a dick one). Increasing the cost of Prime with the cost of living exploding globally would get people cancelling their subscriptions entirely - particularly when the benefit of Prime is a lot of a convenience thing these days.

      Not many people will cancel Prime though just because of ads on the Video section, you lose all the other benefits. Personally I hope it can be switched on and off though, I'll just pay $3 for a month then cancel it again to avoid ads while I binge Reacher.

      I hope Amazon doesn't go the Netflix route of testing the waters on just how much blood they can squeeze from a stone though. It's certainly not a good enough library to justify a standalone pricing.

      • Mechz on 28/12/2023 - 22:27
        +3

        Piracy is virtually free. No ads there.

        • freefall101 on 28/12/2023 - 23:28

          Amazon probably don't care, if you're still paying for Prime and not putting any strain on their servers it's not really an issue for them.

          If you're not paying for Prime, you probably were never going to sign up just to watch whatever they're streaming.

    • reactor-au on 29/12/2023 - 09:09

      Yeah, going to have to join a crew, find a boat, pack a bag of oranges to set sail again like we living in 2005.

  • vodamerc on 28/12/2023 - 20:46

    You're getting ads on the YouTube music app?

  • Wiadro on 28/12/2023 - 20:50

    no dramas here

  • HardQuiz on 28/12/2023 - 21:34

    No issues here

  • CodeXD on 28/12/2023 - 23:37
    +1

    Where is your youtube premium location? I haven't seen this (yet) and I'm on Turkish subscription.

  • CtrlAltSpoods on 29/12/2023 - 10:16
    +2

    I just cancelled my YouTube premium subscription and have decided to just put the effort in to block the ads on web, mobile and TV apps.

    This is what happens when they increase prices lol.

  • Fayble1212 on 02/01/2024 - 02:25

    Edit: 2/1/24

    • YouTube Premium logo no longer appearing in YouTube app top left corner
    • YouTube no longer plays in the background on mobile when phone is locked
    • YouTube Music is no longer allowing unlimited skips
    • New Pop-up has appeared (screenshot 2)
    • reactor-au on 02/01/2024 - 09:36

      No problem here

      • Borg on 02/01/2024 - 10:19

        Likewise, have it on multiple devices and all is well (Via Pakistan as Turkey no longer support without local Cr/Card). Perhaps there lays the issue i.e. being Turkey?
        Anyone else having this issue or is it due to OP using Turkey I wonder.

  • Fredfloresjr on 09/01/2024 - 22:08

    End of fun for me. 😭😭

    Via India for 1 year

  • lgacb08 on 11/01/2024 - 12:12
    -2

    What are you on about, we're still cruising along just fine off Delhi embassy quarter. You probably have a a dodgy version of premium. It's not the first time someone falls onto this trap.

    • Fayble1212 on 11/01/2024 - 16:42
      +1

      Dodgy version of premium eh. Right lol

  • Vomo on 11/01/2024 - 16:33

    My Citibank has expired, so I'm off Premium now, just using Brave for IOS and it even has Youtube downloads and plays on lock screen. So you get nothing YT - NOTHING!

  • Abaddon on 09/02/2024 - 15:26

    Mine still seems to be fine, but I'm on a yearly subscription rather than by the month, perhaps that makes the difference.

    • Fayble1212 on 10/02/2024 - 10:09

      Yeah all the warnings have disappeared and everything is back to normal now, could have been some AB testing.

  • The Hobo on 26/02/2024 - 17:03

    My Youtube premium (Turkey) expired yesterday. Can't seem to get it working again (keep getting errors around not being able to detect the country)

    Any tips/suggestions?

    • Fayble1212 on 02/03/2024 - 04:53

      Try location guard

      • The Hobo on 05/03/2024 - 19:13

        No luck there either :(

        • Fayble1212 on 05/03/2024 - 19:16

          How many accounts you trying to get premium for, a family or individual

          • The Hobo on 05/03/2024 - 20:58

            @Fayble1212: Just an individual - location guard just showed up with AUD prices as per normal.

            • Fayble1212 on 09/03/2024 - 10:14
              -1

              @The Hobo: inbox me your YT email ill add you to mine, i have a spare spot :)

              • The Hobo on 11/03/2024 - 11:54
                +1

                @Fayble1212: Appreciate the offer, i've since discovered PrivateVPN, which worked well!

  • mando7 on 10/04/2024 - 11:58

    This just happened to me today, damn. I still have 10 months subscription left with Indian YT. I guess there is no option but to keep VPN running which is a uphill task on mobiles (requiring chunk of internet data).

  • ballabooyeah on 13/04/2024 - 14:24

    Damm, I'm also kicked out. I used via india for Youtube on my SOny TV and to watch videos on the plane. About to do a 10 hour flight and i cant get it alive again.
    I see @The Hobo you got PriovateVPN working, is this for a 1 time setup or you need it running constantly.
    Please can someone help. This is very unfair when these mega companies want us to pay normal unrealistic prices…

    • The Hobo on 19/04/2024 - 23:34

      Hey - sorry for the late reply, it was a 1 time setup only

  • Abaddon on 24/04/2024 - 13:26

    My Annual Indian Individual plan is expired now. Looks like there are no other available Annual plans I can take up which is unfortunate.

    If they added an Annual Aussie plan I'd probably go for that to be easier. But they can get stuffed on a monthly sub.

  • HardQuiz on 27/04/2024 - 11:14

    So it’s impacting individual plans not family plans?

    I still have no issues here.

    • Fayble1212 on 20/05/2024 - 08:03

      I am on the family plan.

  • I Smell Pennies on 20/05/2024 - 08:14

    Still no issues on my Turkey Family account

    • Fayble1212 on 20/05/2024 - 09:32

      Yeah it's odd, those pop-ups stop appearing on mine.

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