Britain's government is considering revamping the country's compulsory television license fee that funds the BBC by extending it to include households using paid streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.
Britain’s government is considering revamping the country’s compulsory television license fee that funds the BBC by extending it to include households using paid streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: British Culture, Media, and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy has proposed expanding the compulsory TV License that funds the BBC to include households that use streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video. At present, Britons who watch live programs on television, their computer, or another device—even if none of it is BBC content—must purchase a license to fund the broadcaster, on pain of criminal fines backed by the threat of imprisonment, but people have increasingly been avoiding…Open
Labour's push to regulate social media during elections raises concerns over free speech and independent media in Britain.
The Labour Party is pushing to regulate social media ahead of elections, raising concerns for independent media and free speech in Britain. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Britain ’s ruling Labour Party is proposing new restrictions on social media during election campaigns, arguing that existing laws have failed to keep pace with the influence of online platforms, in yet another proposal to curb free speech online. Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell said millions of voters now get their news through social media feeds, complaining that this allows falsehoods, deepfakes, and coordinated misinformation to spread rapidly. DETAIL: Powell said a new Representation of the People Bill would extend some election-period “purdah” rules that…Open
The British government is drawing up plans to force social media platforms to prioritize "trusted" public service media, such as the BBC, raising concerns about potential government influence over online news reporting.
The British government is drawing up plans to force social media platforms to prioritize “trusted” public service media, such as the BBC, raising concerns about potential government influence over online news reporting. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The British left-wing Labour government has proposed new measures to force social media platforms prioritize content from public service media (PSM), including the BBC , as part of efforts to combat “misinformation.” A Green Paper published June 22 suggests requiring platforms to make so-called “trusted” news sources more visible, even if users do not actively seek them out. DETAIL: The proposal, outlined in the government’s new media Green Paper, comes as growing numbers of…Open