Your VPN ‘Jugaad’ for a cheaper YouTube Premium subscription may not work

Google may be cracking down on users who use VPNs to buy YouTube Premium subscriptions at cheaper rates. The tech giant is reportedly cancelling the YouTube Premium membership of those who use this VPN ‘trick’ to get the subscription at a lower price.
According to a report by Android Authority, a Reddit user named Alopez1024 has revealed that YouTube cancelled his YouTube Premium membership out of nowhere.
Other Reddit users also reported that their YouTube Premium subscriptions were also cancelled. The common factor among these cancelled memberships seemed to be the use of a VPN to subscribe at lower rates offered in different countries.

YouTube offers different Premium prices based on regional purchasing power and consumer expectations. Some users have exploited this by masking their location with a VPN to subscribe from countries like Ukraine, where the subscription is significantly cheaper (99 UAH or ~$2.44 per month) compared to the US ($13.99 per month).

Once subscribed, the Premium service would work without a VPN, making it a lucrative loophole. However, this workaround is now being shut down. Users who subscribe via VPN are likely to find their memberships cancelled.

Some affected users asked YouTube’s customer service to explain the cancellation of their membership. The company said that these cancellations were done due to the discrepancy between the sign-up and current locations. YouTube also advised users to subscribe to local payment methods to align with regional pricing.
Recently, YouTube started testing a new "Notes" feature to combat misinformation. This feature will allow viewers to add contextual notes to videos. These notes are expected to appear beneath videos and will help users to understand if a video is a parody, if a reviewed product has a newer version, or if old footage is presented as current.
Initially, a limited number of users with good standing channels will be able to write notes, which third-party evaluators will rate for accuracy and helpfulness. This feature aims to counter misleading content, especially from generative AI, and is expected to become visible to US viewers in the coming weeks and months.