Based on recent reports, YouTube is actively restricting access to Premium accounts created through VPNs and cracking down on users accessing Premium content across different regions. According to user discussions, YouTube now detects and blocks VPN connections when attempting to stream Premium content[^6][^10].
Some key impacts:
- Users report being unable to play YouTube Music through Sonos speakers when using a VPN, with the service becoming accessible only after bypassing VPN connections[^6]
- Premium subscribers attempting to access content from different regions than their subscription face connection errors and service disruptions
- The restrictions appear to be part of YouTube's broader strategy to enforce regional content licensing and subscription terms
The crackdown coincides with YouTube's increased focus on Premium subscriptions, including showing longer unskippable ads to free users in 2025 to drive Premium adoption[^8].
[^6]: Sonos Community - Unable to play YouTube Music
[^8]: LateNode Community - Why are YouTube users experiencing extremely long, non-skippable advertisements?
[^10]: Reddit r/VPN - Getting around YouTube Premium
I've been weighing my music streaming options lately. I tried Apple Music, but its catalog is limited, and the app is slow and unpolished. I dislike Spotify's privacy policies, just like YouTube premium, but if I wanted a great music selection and had to compromise on privacy, YT Premium with a separate login and VPN would be the answer.
After this bullshit move I'll go back to using a NewPipe fork on Android or FreeTube on my desktop. This company's greed is bottomless.
Why can't a paid service protect your privacy these days? It wants to have its cake and eat it too; Google will sell you a spendy subscription while ruthlessly tracking and data mining you into oblivion. Gotta bring in another 100 billion for shareholders I guess.
Money is power. It's not about money, it's about power. Hail the kings.