In a significant policy shift that began quietly at the end of 2024, YouTube has restricted access to its Family Plan subscription, making it available only to accounts that meet specific eligibility criteria. As of last week, the change has been rolled out globally including major markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada with many users now finding the Family Plan option missing entirely, depending on their account’s eligibility.

According to a source at Google familiar with the matter, the new limitations are part of an effort to curb widespread abuse of the Family Plan. The subscription, originally intended for households, had been increasingly exploited by users sharing it with friends or strangers in other countries. A practice that violates YouTube’s terms of service. To address this, YouTube has begun implementing stricter account checks that determine whether the Family Plan option is displayed. Google has not publicly disclosed the exact criteria for eligibility, and the policy was initially tested in select regions before expanding globally.

So I want to get a family plan, but it says the price is 16.99, is that with 2 people and the price goes up? How does it all work?