YouTube is taking significant steps to address both subscription and privacy concerns. The platform is reportedly cracking down on users who exploit VPNs to obtain cheaper premium subscriptions, aiming to ensure fair pricing across regions.
In addition, YouTube is expanding its privacy complaint process, now allowing users to report AI-generated content that uses their face or voice without consent.
These measures highlight YouTube’s commitment to enhancing user security and privacy on its platform.
YouTube Reportedly Cracking Down on Those Using VPN to Get Cheaper Premium Subscription
YouTube is now cracking down on users who use virtual private networks (VPNs) to get a cheaper premium subscription, according to claims by users on social media.
Over the last few months, YouTube has been heavily focusing on tackling the issue of third-party ad blockers which violate its terms of service.
But, it now seems to have diverted its attention to another one of its revenue streams – YouTube Premium subscriptions.
In a post title “Automatic YouTube Premium Cancellation?” on the YouTube subreddit, user @Alopez1024 share a screenshot showing an alleged email from the video-streaming service regarding the cancellation of the premium subscription.
The email inform the user of them losing the benefits of YouTube Premium, while also guiding them through the process of getting it back.
In the comments, many users highlight that this may be happening to those using a VPN to get a cheaper subscription.
YouTube Premium, like many other subscription services, isn’t price the same everywhere.
For instance, it starts at $13.99 (approx. Rs. 1,170) per month in the US for the Individual plan.
As the same plan costs Rs. 129 per month in India, which is almost 10% of the US price.
Due to this disparity, some users may have navigate to the YouTube website via VPN in regions where its premium subscription is cheaper, to get it.
This is the very issue that YouTube is said to be tackling with its latest move.
YouTube spokesperson said :
“To provide the most accurate plans and offers available, we have systems in place to determine the country of our users. 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.”
YouTube Music Could Reportedly Get an AI-Powered ‘Ask for Music’ Feature Soon
— 2YoDoINDIA News Network (@2yodoindia) June 22, 2024
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YouTube Expands Privacy Complaint Process, Lets Users Report AI-Generated Content Using Their Face or Voice
As YouTube is expanding its user privacy protection mechanism to include artificial intelligence (AI) content.
Google announce that users will be able to report AI-generated content that simulates their face or voice.
You can report such videos using the Privacy Complaint Process, an online reporting system that allows them to fill out a form to highlight their issue, share evidence of the privacy violation, and share the uploader’s details.
When a complaint is submit, it is manually reviewed against many parameters, and if the complaint is found to be legitimate, the video is deleted.
In a community post, YouTube reveal that it is expanding the privacy request process for AI generated content that replicates both face and voice.
In November 2023, the company announce that it intended to introduce responsible AI innovation to the platform.
At the time, it list many new features it promise to introduce to protect users from misinformation and deepfakes.
Deepfakes can be understood as synthetic media (generate using AI or otherwise) which have been digitally alter to impersonate another individual.
In recent times, incidents of deepfakes have increased significantly.
YouTube is now letting users take the help of its existing Privacy Complaint Process to report any AI-generated content that simulates their face or voice.
Users can also report a channel if they feel the channel is impersonating them.
But, this will not be consider the same as a Community Guidelines strike, even if a creator’s video is remove through this process.
As YouTube disables a creator’s channel if they have received three strikes.
YouTube’s Privacy Complaint Process form can be find HERE.
It is a long process where users are first taken through six pages which helps users ascertain whether their privacy is violate and if they have explore all other options before reaching out to the platform.
These include asking the user if they have been harass, they have contact the uploader, and they have review the Community Guidelines.
They are also said that abusing the process may result in their account being suspended.
But, for genuine privacy complaints, you can go through these steps to reach a long form where they are require to share details about the incident, any evidence, and information about the uploader.
When the form is submit, YouTube evaluates the validity of the incident.
After the validity has establish, the video is delete from the platform.
