YouTube enforces its household-only rule for Premium Family plans, sending warnings to users sharing accounts outside a single residence.
Users have 14 days to comply before losing Premium access, reverting to the ad-supported version of YouTube.
YouTube verifies member locations using IP addresses every 30 days, allowing appeals for flagged users like students away at college.
The crackdown aims to convert shared accounts into direct revenue, mirroring strategies by Netflix and other streaming services.
YouTube's enforcement is part of a broader industry trend, with services like Disney Plus and Max also tightening password sharing rules.
YouTube is enforcing its household-only rule for its Premium Family plan, sending warning emails to users it detects are sharing accounts outside a single residence, as first reported by Android Police. The move signals an end to casual password sharing for the service, pushing users toward individual subscriptions.
Your 14-day notice: The warning emails give users 14 days before their Premium access is revoked. The user will revert to the ad-supported version of YouTube, though their membership in the family group itself is unaffected.
The fine print: While the household-only policy has been in YouTube's terms since at least 2023, the company is now actively enforcing it by verifying member locations using IP addresses every 30 days. Users who believe they’ve been flagged by mistake, like students away at college, can appeal the decision.
The subscription-sharing party is winding down. Following a similar playbook to Netflix, YouTube is betting it can convert borrowed accounts into direct revenue streams. YouTube's move is part of a wider industry crackdown on password sharing, with services like Disney Plus and Max also tightening access. The enforcement push isn't just about location; YouTube has also been canceling cheap subscriptions purchased abroad using VPNs to bypass regional pricing.
