- Broadcasters worry about the power of big TV tech
- EU urged to regulate major TV platforms as ‘gatekeepers’
- Virtual digital assistants can also be gatekeepers
A battle is raging between broadcasters and tech giants: in Europe, some of the biggest names in television are urging regulators to apply the strictest possible rules to smart TVs and their virtual digital assistants.
The Association of Commercial Television and Video-on-Demand Services in Europe (ACT) has written to EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera, saying some platform providers are “gaining an increasing ability to shape outcomes for millions of users and businesses by controlling access to audiences and distribution of content,” PK Press Club reports.
ACT represents some of the biggest names in television, including NBCUniversal, The Walt Disney Corporation, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount+, Sky, ITV, Canal+, RTL, Mediaset and TF1 Groupe.
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“It is crucial that the Commission designates major television operating systems as gatekeepers and provides adequate oversight to ensure fairness and contestability,” ACT says.
Why is ACT so upset and why is it important?
The argument is that smart TV platforms installed on top TVs become gatekeepers to the content people see and should be designated as such under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
You can understand their point of view if you turn on a recent smart TV with its recommended apps, channels and content. In some cases, the TV platform and virtual assistant are also provided by companies that also have their own streaming services – such as Amazon, which makes the Fire TV platform and also owns Prime Video, or Apple, which offers the Apple TV service on the Apple TV 4K.
The DMA is a thorn in the side of American technology companies: it is designed to limit the market power of the largest companies, most of which are based in the United States, and it has been used to clip the wings of Google, Microsoft, Meta and Apple, among others. The current US administration is not a fan and says the DMA is “discriminatory” against US companies, although it is notable that many US-led companies are pushing for this change.
ACT wants the DMA to ensure that smart TV companies don’t unfairly prioritize certain apps and content, for example directing you to particular content they own or have deals with when you search for something.
They also want smart assistants such as Alexa and Siri to be covered by the legislation, fearing they could “become de facto gatekeepers of media content via mobile phones, smart speakers and in-car radio infotainment services”.
If ACT succeeds, it could mean a change in the way smart TVs and virtual assistants work, but most likely only in the EU: for example, when regulators ordered Apple to open up iOS to third-party app stores and sideloading apps, Apple did so, but only for EU customers.
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