London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 09, 2025

Streaming TV giants face tighter UK regulation

Streaming TV giants face tighter UK regulation

Services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ could face tighter regulation in the UK under government proposals.

Traditional broadcasters like the BBC and ITV have to comply with regulator Ofcom's code covering issues like harm, offence, accuracy and impartiality. But most streaming platforms do not.

The government has announced a review into whether to strengthen the rules.

Meanwhile, ministers have also confirmed a consultation into whether to privatise Channel 4.

The broadcaster is currently funded by adverts but is publicly-owned.

'Potentially harmful'


The only streaming platform that must currently adhere to Ofcom's broadcasting code is the BBC iPlayer. The regulator can issue fines and suspend licences if the rules are broken.

Separate rules regulating incitement to hatred and other "harmful material" apply to streaming services with head and editorial offices in the UK - which include Amazon Prime and Disney+, but not Netflix.

Currently, the Ofcom website contains a statement explaining that "Netflix is based in the Netherlands and therefore not within Ofcom's jurisdiction".

However, some services have introduced their own voluntary procedures - such as Netflix's age ratings partnership with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

In Wednesday's announcement, the government said there was currently an "inconsistent, ad-hoc and potentially harmful gap in regulation".

Netflix shows don't come under the same rules as broadcasters like the BBC and ITV

Announcing the moves, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "Technology has transformed broadcasting but the rules protecting viewers and helping our traditional channels compete are from an analogue age.

"The time has come to look at how we can unleash the potential of our public service broadcasters while also making sure viewers and listeners consuming content on new formats are served by a fair and well-functioning system.

"So we'll now be looking at how we can help make sure Channel 4 keeps its place at the heart of British broadcasting and level the playing field between broadcasters and video-on-demand services."

Last year, Netflix faced criticism from Mr Dowden over scenes in its hit drama series The Crown which contained historical inaccuracies.

According to Ofcom's latest figures, viewers watched subscription streaming services for one hour 11 minutes in April 2020 - double the previous year.

In 2019, two in five viewers of streaming services told the Ofcom they could imagine watching no broadcast TV at all in five years' time.

Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ have been contacted for comment.

'Public service before profit'


Changes to streaming regulation and Channel 4's ownership could both be included in a new media law that is expected to be unveiled in a white paper this autumn.

On Tuesday, Channel 4 executives warned that privatisation could make it less likely to make shows that are not commercially appealing, whereas the current priority for its programmes is "not about the bottom line".

Chief executive Alex Mahon told a committee of MPs: "We are always, in all the decisions we make, able to put public service before profit.

"When you run commercial businesses, by necessity, your priorities change. They have to. And therefore you have to make decisions differently. You have to think about shareholder returns."

In Wednesday's announcement, the government also confirmed it would go ahead with new laws to ensure sure UK public service broadcasters have a prominent spot on smart TVs and other platforms and devices.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
A Dollar Coin Featuring Trump’s Portrait Expected to Be Issued Next Year
Australia Orders X to Block Murder Videos, Citing Online Safety and Public Exposure
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
×