Media shake-up: UK to regulate streaming giants

London: The British government on Wednesday announced plans to subject online streaming platforms to tighter regulation as part of a wider shake-up of the country’s media landscape.

Under the proposals, services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video would face the same level of regulation as traditional broadcasters including the BBC, ITV and Sky. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the review would "level the playing field between broadcasters and video-on-demand services".

Television channels in Britain must follow a broadcasting code set by regulator the Office of Communications (Ofcom) covering areas such as harmful content and requiring impartiality in news programmes.

But online streaming platforms -- with the exception of the BBC’s on-demand iPlayer service -- face lighter regulation, primarily limited to protecting children and preventing content that incites hatred.

Netflix and Apple TV are not regulated at all in Britain. The reforms also aim to increase public service broadcasters’ online prominence to ensure their programmes can be found and accessed easily on smart TVs and other devices.

"Technology has transformed broadcasting but the rules protecting viewers and helping our traditional channels compete are from an analogue age," Dowden added. "The time has come to look at how we can unleash the potential of our public service broadcasters while making sure viewers and listeners consuming content on new formats are served by a fair and well-functioning system."

The government also revealed it intends to sell Channel 4, a publicly-owned but commercially-funded television broadcaster that draws 90 percent of its income from advertising. Channel 4 launched in 1982 and its remit involves supporting Britain’s independent production sector and producing a unique and diverse range of programmes.