- Broadcasters are worried about the power of big TV technology
- EU has been asked to regulate major TV platforms as “gatekeepers”
- Virtual digital assistants can also be gatekeepers
A battle is brewing between broadcasters and big tech: In Europe, some of the biggest names in TV are calling for regulators to apply the toughest 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 the EU’s antitrust chief Teresa Ribera, claiming that certain platform providers “are gaining increasing ability to shape outcomes for millions of users and businesses by controlling access to audiences and content distribution,” Pakinomist reports.
ACT represents some very big 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 vital that the Commission appoints major TV operating systems as gatekeepers and ensures adequate oversight to guarantee fairness and competitiveness,” ACT says.
What is ACT so upset about and why does it matter?
The argument is that smart TV platforms on top TVs are becoming the gatekeepers of what content people watch and should be designated as such under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
You can see their point if you turn on a recent smart TV with its recommended apps, channels and content. In some cases, the TV platform and the virtual assistant are also provided by companies that also have their own streaming services – as is the case with Amazon, which makes the Fire TV platform and also has Prime Video, or Apple, which has the Apple TV service on the Apple TV 4K.
The DMA is a persistent thorn in the side of US tech companies: Designed to limit the market power of the very largest companies, most of which are based in the US, it has been used to clip the wings of Google, Microsoft, Meta and Apple, among others. The current US administration is not a fan, saying the DMA is “discriminatory” against US firms, although it’s notable that many US-led firms are actually calling for this change.
ACT wants the DMA to ensure that smart TV companies don’t unfairly prioritize some apps and content, for example by directing you towards certain content they own or have agreements with when you search for something.
They also want smart assistants such as Alexa and Siri to be covered by the legislation, amid concerns they could “become the de facto gatekeepers of media content through 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 app sideloading, Apple did so, but only to EU customers.
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