Apple TV+ and other streaming services to face regulation in the UK
- Apple TV+ could be regulated by Ofcom in the United Kingdom, new reporting suggests.
- The move would force services to abide by rules that broadcasters currently follow.
The UK government has announced a consultation into the regulation of streaming services like Apple TV+, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Ministers at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will soon decide whether Ofcom should regulate the services, which, because of their U.S based headquarters, aren’t currently required to abide by rules set out by the UK regulator. Traditional broadcasters like BBC and ITV are regulated by Ofcom, and follow rules relating to their impartiality, accuracy and offensiveness. The review into the law could see significant changes to traditional broadcasting rules in the country.
From MacRumors
Traditional broadcasters like the BBC and ITV must comply with regulator Ofcom's code, which covers issues including harm, offense, accuracy, and impartiality. If the rules of the code are broken, Ofcom can dole out fines and suspend licenses.
Currently the only streaming platform that must also adhere to the code is the BBC iPlayer, while the likes of Netflix and Amazon do not fall under its remit, because their headquarters are not located in the United Kingdom.
In addition, the consultation will discuss whether services need stricter implementation of age ratings. Netflix, for example, uses the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) age content ratings.
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