Refunds Available Even If You Cancel 'YouTube Premium' Early (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Starting from the end of August, if users cancel their subscription to YouTube's monthly subscription service 'YouTube Premium,' they will be able to receive a refund proportional to the remaining subscription period.

On the 25th, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) announced that it had received a corrective action plan from Google LLC regarding violations of the Telecommunications Business Act. Google LLC stated in the plan that if a user requests cancellation during the monthly subscription period of the 'YouTube Premium' service, the cancellation will be processed immediately and a refund will be issued proportional to the remaining subscription period.

According to the KCC's corrective order, Korea is the first among approximately 30 countries worldwide where the 'YouTube Premium' service is offered to calculate fees proportionally based on the service usage period. Additionally, Google LLC will clearly notify users that value-added tax (VAT) is charged separately on the service subscription and account verification screens. The subscription screen will clearly indicate the end date of the free trial (start date of payment) and provide a clear notification of the email address to which a notice will be sent three days before the paid conversion.

The subscription screen will also separately explain that once the paid payment is made after the free trial ends, withdrawal of subscription due to non-use of the service is not possible. Google LLC plans to improve related work procedures by August 25 in accordance with the submitted corrective action plan.

This action by Google is significant in that the KCC applied domestic user protection laws equally to global operators as it does to domestic operators. Earlier, on January 22, the KCC determined that Google LLC violated the Telecommunications Business Act by restricting the legitimate right of 'YouTube Premium' users to cancel mid-subscription and by failing to notify important matters such as VAT charges and the period during which subscription withdrawal is possible. The KCC imposed a fine of 867 million KRW on Google LLC and ordered the public announcement of the corrective measures and improvement of work procedures.

Han Sang-hyuk, Chairman of the KCC, said, "In the post-COVID-19 era, protecting users of online value-added communication services and building a trust-based system has become more important," adding, "We will continue to strictly respond to violations by global operators without discrimination against domestic operators and protect user rights and interests."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.