Streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ could all be facing tougher regulations in the UK under government proposals
Traditional broadcasters within the UK, such as the BBC and ITV have to comply with national regulator Ofcom’s code covering issues such as harm, offence, accuracy and impartiality. But most other streaming platforms do not adhere to these same regulations.
The government has announced plans for a review into whether or not to strengthen the current rules.
Meanwhile, government ministers have also confirmed a consultation into whether or not to privatise Channel 4.
The broadcaster is currently funded by advertisers but is publicly-owned.
This comes after UK immigration officials will begin giving citizens of the EU who live in the UK a 28-day warning to apply to stay, the government has said. But the Home Office will be allowing people an indefinite amount of time to complete an application for settled status within the country.
The only streaming platform that must adhere to Ofcom’s broadcasting standards currently is BBC iPlayer. The regulator is permitted to issue fines and suspend licences if its regulations are broken.
Separate rules that regulate the incitement to hatred as well as other “harmful material” apply to streaming services with head and editorial offices within the UK, which include Amazon Prime and Disney+, but currently not Netflix.
The Ofcom website currently contains a statement that explains that “Netflix is based in the Netherlands and therefore not within Ofcom’s jurisdiction”.
However, some of the services have introduced their own voluntary procedures, such as Netflix’s age ratings in partnership with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
In the announcement on Wednesday, the government said there was currently an “inconsistent, ad-hoc and potentially harmful gap in regulation”.
Oliver Dowden, the UK’s Culture Secretary, said that the proposed regulation would prevent the traditional broadcasters such as the BBC from having to “compete with one hand behind their backs”.
Writing in The Times, Mr Dowden said UK broadcasters were “holding their own”, but added: “Our broadcasters can’t do it alone and they certainly can’t compete in a digital world while operating under analogue rules.
“This summer we will consult on whether it’s time to set the same basic rules for video-on-demand services as we do for traditional broadcasters.” He added that the government hoped to “level the playing field”.
This comes after Prime minister Boris Johnson has said it is “looking good” for the 19th of July to be the “terminus point” for England’s coronavirus restrictions, but did not rule out the prospect of further coronavirus lockdowns in the winter.
Last year, Netflix faced criticism from Oliver Dowden over scenes in its hit drama series The Crown which had contained historical inaccuracies, when portraying a fictional version of the Royal Family.
According to the latest figures from Ofcom, viewers watched subscription streaming services for one hour 11 minutes per day in April 2020, double the previous year.
In 2019, two out of five viewers of streaming services told the Ofcom that they could imagine watching no broadcast TV at all within five years’ time.
Changes to streaming regulation, as well as Channel 4’s ownership, could both be included within a new media law that is expected to be unveiled within a white paper this autumn.
