YouTube is cracking down on Premium Family plan subscribers who don't actually live together, ending years of lax enforcement that allowed friends and distant relatives to share subscriptions across different households.
The streaming giant has begun sending warning emails to family plan members who fail location verification checks, titled "Your YouTube Premium family membership will be paused." Recipients get 14 days to either prove they live with their family manager or lose Premium benefits, though they can still watch with ads.
"Your YouTube Premium family membership requires all members to be in the same household as the family manager," reads the warning email. "It appears you may not be in the same household as your family manager, and your membership will be paused in 14 days."
YouTube conducts automated "electronic check-ins" every 30 days using location data to verify that family members share the same residential address as the plan manager. While this requirement has existed since at least 2023, enforcement was practically nonexistent until now.
The crackdown coincides with YouTube's updated Terms of Service taking effect September 26, 2025, which explicitly state that multi-person plans are designed "for family group members residing in the same household as the family manager." The $22.99 monthly family plan allows up to six people to share Premium benefits, including ad-free viewing and YouTube Music access.
Currently, the enforcement appears limited in scope, with scattered reports on Reddit dating back several months. One user confirmed their membership was actually canceled after the 14-day grace period expired. Flagged users can appeal through Google's support system to "confirm eligibility and maintain access."
This move mirrors similar crackdowns by Netflix on password sharing, suggesting streaming services are increasingly prioritizing revenue protection over user convenience. For legitimate families spread across multiple locations—like college students or deployed military members—this could create genuine access issues.
What You Can Do: If you receive a warning email, contact YouTube support immediately through their appeal form. Consider upgrading to individual plans or exploring YouTube's new two-person Premium option currently in testing.