YouTube's Premium service is currently the best option to have an ad-free experience on the site ever since it has been cracking down on ad blockers, but you might want to turn your VPN off first before doing so if you don't want the subscription to be canceled.
Buying YouTube Subscriptions With a VPN
YouTube Premium varies in price depending on which country you are from. Some are cheaper than others, so users believed that they could save on subscription fees by cheating the system and making their IP address appear like it's from a different location.
However, YouTube is now onto this tactic and will not let it stand. Users have reported that after using this technique to save on costs, their YouTube subscription was automatically canceled, as reported by The Verge.
It's understandable considering the significant price difference between countries. For instance, a Premium subscription in the US would cost its users $13.99, but the price in Argentina would only be 869 ARS, which is equivalent to $1.05 per month.
YouTube spokesperson Paul Pennington said that the site already has systems in place that can pinpoint the location of users and detect whether they are spoofing it. It will then automatically remove the subscription, presumably refunding the payment as well.
"In instances where the signup country does not match where the user is accessing YouTube, we're asking members to update their billing information to their current country of residence." the spokesperson continued.
YouTube's Ad Blocker Crackdown
The streaming service has been vigilant in the last year when it comes to ad blockers. It has implemented several ways to warn users that they must disable their browser plugins or apps before they can continue watching.
At first, YouTube gives off a warning that it has detected an active ad blocker and that the user can only watch three YouTube videos before they are restricted. As the measures progressed, the site has moved on to more serious measures.
Instead of allowing three videos, users who enable ad blockers will have their videos muted. Some even say that the video automatically skips to the end. Just this April, the company announced that it is strengthening its enforcement of third-party apps that violate YouTube's Terms of Service.
When restricted, users will see the message stating: "The following content is not available on this app," or will experience buffering issues, as reported by 9To5Google. Users are then prompted to either disable ad blockers or subscribe to YouTube Premium.
"We want to emphasize that our terms don't allow third-party apps to turn off ads because that prevents the creator from being rewarded for viewership, and Ads on YouTube help support creators and let billions of people around the world use the streaming service," YouTube reasoned.
Between the ad blockers crackdown and the VPN restriction, people have no other choice but to use the site without workarounds. They will have to subscribe the way they are meant to if they want to enjoy an ad-free experience.
