LONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Britain on Tuesday said it would
consult on bringing the rules for on-demand TV services like
Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ into
line with traditional broadcasters like the BBC, ITV and
Sky.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said audiences could be
better protected from harmful material like misinformation and
pseudoscience while watching video-on-demand services.
"We want to give UK audiences peace of mind that however
they watch TV in the digital age, the shows they enjoy are held
to the same high standards that British broadcasting is
world-renowned for," he said.
"It is right that now we have left the EU, we look at
introducing proportionate new rules so that UK audiences are
protected from harm."
In 2021, three quarters of households used a subscription
video-on-demand service, according to media regulator Ofcom.
The government said some service providers had introduced
their own standards and procedures for audience protection -
such as age ratings, pin-codes and content warnings - but they
were inconsistent.
The consultation closes on Oct. 26, it said.
(Reporting by Paul Sandle. Editing by Andrew MacAskill)
ITV (ITV)