YouTube has taken a firmer stance against password sharing on its Premium Family plan, marking a significant shift in how the platform enforces its policies.
Users have started receiving warnings that Premium benefits will be paused if family members are found to be living outside the same household.
As per media reports, several users have received emails with the subject line: “Your YouTube Premium family membership will be paused”. The notices have explained that all members of a Premium Family subscription must reside at the same address as the family manager. Accounts flagged as non-compliant have been given 14 days before their access is suspended, after which affected members have reverted to the ad-supported version of YouTube.
The Premium Family plan, priced at Rs 299 per month in India, has allowed up to five additional members to enjoy ad-free videos, YouTube Music, offline downloads and background play. While the household requirement has long existed, YouTube has until now been relatively lenient in enforcing it, which has enabled friends and relatives in different homes to benefit.
YouTube has verified eligibility through an “electronic check-in” that typically occurs every 30 days. This process has checked location and account data to confirm that all members are under one roof. In the past, failing this check has carried little consequence, but the platform has now started acting on the results.
The timing has been notable. Just weeks ago, YouTube tested a two-person Premium plan designed for couples or flatmates who don’t meet the strict “family household” definition. By making the family plan more restrictive while offering smaller, cheaper alternatives, YouTube has appeared to be nudging users towards legitimate tiers rather than shared accounts.
The move has echoed Netflix’s own crackdown on password sharing, with YouTube’s motivation being straightforward: increased revenue. Users who have previously relied on shared access have been pushed towards their own subscriptions.
So far, enforcement has seemed limited, with scattered reports across Reddit and other forums suggesting that the crackdown has not yet been rolled out globally. Users have been advised to prepare, as the policy could expand more widely in the near future.
Those affected have had three choices: join a legitimate family plan with household members, switch to an individual or smaller plan, or return to the free, ad-supported version of YouTube.
