You might be using a service called YouTube Premium. This service lets you watch videos without ads. A new rule change is coming, and it is important to understand what it means for you, especially if you travel or use a tool called a VPN to manage your subscription.
Starting September 26, 2025, YouTube will enforce a new policy. This policy states that your Premium membership must be used mostly in the country where you first signed up. If you signed up for YouTube Premium in one country but use it mainly in another, your account could be at risk. This is a significant adjustment to how the service has worked for years.
The change is aimed at a specific money-saving method. Let’s explore what that is and who this new rule will affect.
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The VPN Method for Cheaper Subscriptions
For a long time, some people found a way to pay less for YouTube Premium. They used a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. A VPN can make it look like your computer is in a different country.
Here is how it worked:
- A person would turn on their VPN.
- They would set the VPN to a country where YouTube Premium costs less, like India or Argentina.
- They would then sign up for the service. Because YouTube thought they were in that country, they were charged the lower local price.
This allowed some users to pay a very small amount, sometimes as little as one or two dollars a month, instead of the full price in their actual home country. This practice has been a popular workaround for many online services, not just YouTube. The new rules are designed to stop this.
What Do the New Rules Say?
The official notice sent to users explains the change clearly. It says that your access to Premium services should come from the country where you originally registered your account. The document warns that using the service “predominantly outside of that country” could lead to serious consequences. The most severe action YouTube might take is terminating your account. This means you could lose your subscription entirely.
This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a new term of service you must follow. YouTube is making it clear that it wants subscriptions to match the user’s primary location.
Who Is Affected by This Change?
While the policy targets users who intentionally use VPNs to get lower prices, it also creates problems for other groups of people. It is important to know if you fall into one of these categories.
Frequent Travelers and Business Professionals
If you travel for work for long periods, you might have an issue. Your account is based in your home country, but you will be using it from another location for weeks or months. The new rules could flag your account.
Expatriates and Digital Nomads
People who move to a new country but keep financial ties and subscriptions from their home country are also affected. For example, if you moved from the United States to Spain but kept your U.S.-based YouTube Premium, you might face trouble.
Students Studying Abroad
A student from Canada studying in Australia for a year could have their Canadian-based subscription questioned because they are using it almost exclusively from Australia.
These individuals are not trying to cheat the system. They are legitimate customers who now face a difficult situation. They may need to cancel their existing subscription and sign up again in their new country. This could mean paying a much higher price.
Why Is YouTube Making This Change Now?
This new policy is part of a larger strategy from YouTube and its parent company, Google. The platform is working to increase its revenue. You may have noticed other changes recently. The number of ads on free YouTube has grown significantly. The platform has also become very strict about ad-blocking software, making it harder for people to skip advertisements.
By closing the VPN subscription loophole, YouTube ensures that more users pay the full price for their region. It is a business decision meant to make the Premium service more profitable. However, many users feel it is unfair. On platforms like Reddit, people have pointed out that large companies like Google often register their own business in countries with lower taxes to save money, yet they are stopping users from doing something similar on a much smaller scale.
What Should You Do Now?
If you think this change might affect you, here are some steps you can take to prepare.
- Check Your Account: Go into your YouTube account settings. Find out which country your Premium subscription is registered in. This is your official “signup country.”
- Think About Your Usage: Where do you watch YouTube most of the time? If your viewing location and signup country do not match, you need to consider your options.
- Decide on a Path Forward: If you are using a VPN to get a lower price, your safest choice is to cancel the subscription before the deadline. You can then resubscribe from your actual location at the correct local price. If you are a traveler or expatriate, the situation is more complex. You might need to contact YouTube support for guidance, but the most likely answer will be to switch your subscription to your current country of residence.
This change requires you to be proactive. Waiting until after September 26, 2025, could result in you losing access to your ad-free service or even your entire account without warning. It is better to make a choice now than to be caught by surprise later.