The rise of content and media intermediaries as digital gate-keepers raises major policy and regulation concerns. IIC members agree that consumer choice offers benefits. Does the trend towards non-bundled offers in pay TV threaten diversity, and what concerns remain for some types of content: national content in smaller markets, local reporting in larger markets? And, if regulation does create a level playing field between OTTs and telcos, will demand for local content naturally emerge and reward local players?
European Commission embarks on pilot phase in AI ethics The European Commission has launched the pilot phase of its ethics guidelines for trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI). At the first AI Alliance Assembly, held in Brussels, the High-Level Expert Group on AI announced two developments, including an assessment list for trustworthy AI, developed by a group of 52 independent experts.
Attorneys generals for 50 US states and territories have announced an antitrust investigation of Google, embarking on a wide-ranging review of a tech giant that Democrats and Republicans said may threaten competition, consumers and the continued growth of the web, reports the Washington Post.
Privacy, safety, security and etiquette in an era of big data and disruptive technology.
European negotiators have reached a political agreement on proposed copyright legislation on TV and radio programmes. The new rules will make it easier for European broadcasters to make certain programmes available on their live TV or catch-up services online, and will simplify the distribution of more radio and TV channels by retransmission operators.
The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Shazam by Apple. The commission concluded that the merger would not adversely affect competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has published preliminary recommendations in its digital platforms inquiry, which is covering Google, Facebook and the Australian news and advertising industries. The report contains 11 preliminary recommendations and eight areas for further analysis as the inquiry continues.
Australians’ ever-increasing appetite for data-hungry video services is transforming the communications landscape, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s Communications report 2017–18.
BBC director-general Tony Hall has called for streamers and broadcasters to face the same regulation and highlighted what he says is the greater reach of the “pubcaster” compared with online rivals like Netflix, C21Media reports.
An IIC briefing paper: Artificial Intelligence: Why does it matter? What do policy makers in the TMT sector need to think about?
Convergence opportunities and challenges in a connected TV environment.
It was only going to be a matter of time, but the telco industry is taking California to court over the decision to reinstate net neutrality rules, reports Telecoms.com.
IIC sponsored co-operation resulted in valuable satellite education projects around the world
There has been much discussion recently about the obligations of major internet players, particularly social media networks, to make more strenuous efforts to monitor the activity on their platforms. Welcome as they are, however many moderators the social networks hire, the idea that they can provide full protection for children is no more realistic than suggesting that we place police officers on the corner of every street.
With more programming accessible to global audiences, we need to decide what we mean by local content.
The potential of AI will only be realised with proper public consent
As the world absorbs the impact of Europe’s GDPR, SONIA LIVINGSTONE asks if data protection can work for children’s privacy – or if a wider view is needed for all ages of user
July 2018, Volume 46 Issue 2
Protecting the online rights of children in the commercial sphere has become a pressing issue for policymakers, as UNICEF’s PATRICK GEARY explains.
April 2018, Volume 46 Issue 1
Illicit streaming devices have become the latest mainstream content piracy threat. CASBAA’s JOHN MEDEIROS says that policymakers need to act now
January 2018, Volume 45 Issue 4
Today’s media and communications world needs a fundamental set of principles to help policymakers determine public value. ROBERT PICARD and VICTOR PICKARD have just such a global set to hand.
July 2017, Volume 45 Issue 2
What is the status of international copyright reform in the digital age? TED SHAPIRO contrasts efforts at the World Intellectual Property Organisation with ongoing reform in the EU as part of the digital single market initiative.
April 2017, Volume 45 Issue 1
The US election has brought the debate about whether social media firms such as Facebook are really media players, not technology platforms, into sharp relief, as and discuss.
January 2017, Volume 44 Issue 4
Rene Arnold and Anna Schneider explore the level playing field debate on OTT services from a consumer perspective.
October 2016, Volume 44 Issue 03
Once again, the competing discourses of freedom of expression and national security are in play, as Monroe Price discusses in the context of global media policy.
October 2016, Volume 44 Issue 03
How is media policy and regulation developing in a world moving from broadcasting to audiovisual content on many platforms? Joan Barata presents the agenda.
October 2016, Volume 44 Issue 03
Can broadcasting make the step into an increasingly mobile world? Roland Beutler discusses technology and business models in the context of public service remits, mobile network operators and the new world of 5G.
October 2016, Volume 44 Issue 03
Highlights of the review of Europe’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive are explored by Lorna Woods. Changes in how video-sharing platforms are judged could have major global implications for service providers.
July 2016, Volume 44 Issue 02
As more people, especially the less well off, have only a smartphone to access
the internet, there are signs that a new type of digital divide could develop.
Ofcom’s Alison Preston describes new research carried out in the UK
July 2016, Volume 44 Issue 02
Jean-Pierre Blais reports from Canada on 'discoverability' and the paradox of finding good television content in an age of seeming abundance
April 2016, Volume 44 Issue 01
Ian Hargreaves pieces together projects and evidence that are defining a crucial, technology driven sector of the economy.
January 2016, Volume 43 Issue 04
Celine CRAIG, Deputy Chief Executive, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland – Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann
Newsletter Issue 38
President of the Dutch Media Authority.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
Trends in internet video services are becoming apparent, and regulatory and competition agencies need to respond, as Augusto preta reports.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
The pressure on terrestrial broadcasters to give spectrum to the mobile sector shows no sign of letting up. Roland Beutler, at Germany's Südwestrundfunk, a regional public broadcaster, puts his side of the debate.
September 2015, Volume 43 Issue 03
How can children gain vital literacy skills in today's internet, mobile phone and video game era? Aviva Silver says it's about storytelling.
September 2015, Volume 43 Issue 03
Social media entertainment – the kind that has seen huge growth on YouTube and other platforms – needs understanding if there is to be any measured policy response, writes STUART CUNNINGHAM from an Australian perspective.
December/January 2019, Volume 46 Issue 4
President and General Counsel, Star TV group in India
September 2015, Volume 43 Issue 03
With fake news - or rather, misinformation – running rife, there is an urgent need to establish trust and accountability in the media. The LSE’s ROS TAYLOR continues the discussion of this key issue.
April 2019, Volume 47 Issue 1
Amid the concern about the impact of fake news, echo chambers and filter bubbles, WILLIAM DUTTON and LALEAH FERNANDEZ find there is not such a big problem – and a solution lies in ‘nudge’ theory.
December/January 2019, Volume 46 Issue 4
Online platforms are placing great pressure on safeguards to democracy, and legal remedies are on the stocks. As KRISZTINA ROZGONYI discusses, there is a pressing need for a new generation of media regulators to implement rules and build trust
April 2018, Volume 46 Issue 1
Price, quantity, quality, innovation and choice have been the main ways we measure consumer outcomes. It’s time, says TIM HOGG, to widen the scope to holistic outcomes, including relationships, fairness, truth and privacy – in the ‘sociology of technology’.
December/January 2019, Volume 46 Issue 4
Data privacy is rightly among the biggest concerns in the digital age but, as DANIEL SEPULVEDA argues from the industry perspective, a regulatory balance is needed between protection and the success of a data-driven economy.
October 2018, Volume 46 Issue 3
Now that the first 5G networks have been launched, the questions about how this new technology will be used will start to be answered, especially in the media sector. JEAN PAUL SIMON identifies likely winners and implications for policymakers.
Julyl 2019, Volume 47 Issue 2
Attorneys generals for 50 US states and territories have announced an antitrust investigation of Google, embarking on a wide-ranging review of a tech giant that Democrats and Republicans said may threaten competition, consumers and the continued growth of the web, reports the Washington Post.
Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB), Enterprise Singapore and the regulator, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), have joined forces to establish Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), to better support and capitalise on the growth opportunities for Singapore’s technology sector.
The Citizen Lab, based at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, has commented on two reports issued by United Nations Special Rapporteurs “that demonstrate the dangerous effects of unchecked technology in the hands of autocrats”...
Removing extremist groups from social media is an effective way of destroying their fan bases, according to a study by the Global Research Network on Terrorism and Technology. As the National reports, the researchers found that radical groups do not necessarily thrive on alternative platforms once they have been removed from the mainstream.
The European Commission has launched the pilot phase of its ethics guidelines for trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI). At the first AI Alliance Assembly, held in Brussels, the High-Level Expert Group on AI announced two developments, including an assessment list for trustworthy AI, developed by a group of 52 independent experts.
An article in Wired notes that after revelations about how law enforcement agencies in the US have deployed facial recognition, “Congress seemed, for a moment, galvanised to act".
Ofcom, the UK regulator, has announced a range of measures “to ensure that public service broadcasters (PSBs) continue to deliver high-quality content for UK viewers and listeners”.
The ITU has approved a recommendation addressing the relationship between network operators and providers of over the top (OTT) applications. It says recommendation ITU-T D.262 “provides parameters for the analysis of the new economic dynamics of the ICT ecosystem and how policy and regulatory frameworks could promote competition, consumer protection, consumer benefits, dynamic innovation, sustainable investment and infrastructure development, accessibility and affordability in relation to the global growth of OTTs”.
Russian lawmakers have established “digital rights” in domestic law as the basis for the digital economy, and have also introduced a package of bills to tackle fake news, reports the Global Legal Post.
BBC director-general Tony Hall has called for streamers and broadcasters to face the same regulation and highlighted what he says is the greater reach of the “pubcaster” compared with online rivals like Netflix, C21Media reports.
Google has rejected calls by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for tougher scrutiny of its operations, denying that it enjoys market power in online searches and advertising, Reuters reports.
Australians’ ever-increasing appetite for data-hungry video services is transforming the communications landscape, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s Communications report 2017–18.
The final report in the UK of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee’s 18-month investigation into disinformation and fake news has accused Facebook of purposefully obstructing its inquiry and failing to tackle attempts by Russia to manipulate elections, reports the Guardian.
There will be more than 777 million global streaming video on demand (SVOD) subscriptions by 2023, more than double from 2017, according to Ooyala’s latest State of the Broadcast Industry 2019 report, which also found that the momentum only stands to increase.
A recent paper by British academics from Southampton University claims that the internet is splitting into four distinct governance entities. They say that the internet is a fragile construction of hardware, software, standards and databases and is run by an ever-expanding range of private and public actors constrained only by voluntary protocols and subject to political pressure.
Most online video streaming platforms in India have agreed to a code of self-regulation that may receive endorsement from the country’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry, reports the Economic Times.
European negotiators have reached a political agreement on proposed copyright legislation on TV and radio programmes. The new rules will make it easier for European broadcasters to make certain programmes available on their live TV or catch-up services online, and will simplify the distribution of more radio and TV channels by retransmission operators.
A tipping point in the global entertainment industry is set to occur in 2019 with revenues from subscription over the top (OTT) services exceeding cinema box office, according to a study from Ampere Analysis.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has published preliminary recommendations in its digital platforms inquiry, which is covering Google, Facebook and the Australian news and advertising industries. The report contains 11 preliminary recommendations and eight areas for further analysis as the inquiry continues.
The 2018 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held in Paris recently saw the first appearance at the annual event of a UN secretary general, and also a speech by Emmanuel Macron, in which he said the internet is “profoundly threatened” by cyber attacks, hate speech and disinformation, and by the internet giants.
The European Commission (EC) has published a plan prepared with member states to foster the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Europe. It focuses on four areas: increasing investment, making more data available, fostering talent and ensuring trust.
On 6 November 2018, the Council of the European Union formally adopted the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), reports Lexology. “This closes a long, and at some moments, tense and conflictual process started in May 2016,...
French president Emmanuel Macron has insisted that new laws are needed to limit and protect online content and the internet itself, reports the Register. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Paris, Macron made repeated calls for additional regulation, and complained about the “false alternative” of self-regulation or government control.
It was only going to be a matter of time, but the telco industry is taking California to court over the decision to reinstate net neutrality rules, reports Telecoms.com.
Online platforms and the advertising industry have sent individual roadmaps to European commissioner for digital economy and society, Mariya Gabriel, which will put in practice a self-regulatory code of practice to fight online disinformation, which was published on 26 September 2018.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to reduce the scope of consultation for the proposed regulatory framework for over the top (OTT) platforms such as WhatsApp and Skype, according to a report by Live Mint.
A report from the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE), “Liability of online hosting platforms: should exceptionalism end?”, explores whether online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube benefit from a “liability free pass”.
UK ministers have started drafting proposals for new laws to regulate social media and the internet, according to the Daily Telegraph. “The move has been prompted by widespread consumer concerns over a range of online harms including child abuse, bullying, fake news and internet addiction.
GSMA Intelligence has published its third annual Global Mobile Trends report. Key takeaways include that the next generation of internet users will be mobile only. By 2025, 3.7 billion people – 72% of the global internet base – will be accessing the internet exclusively via mobile.
The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Shazam by Apple. The commission concluded that the merger would not adversely affect competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it.
Controversial new copyright laws have been approved by members of the European Parliament, with changes made since July when the first version of the copyright directive was voted down. But critics say it remains problematic, reports the BBC.
Professor Madeleine de Cock Buning Chairs the High Level Expert Group advising the EU Commission on Fake News and online disinformation and is Chair of The Regulatory Authority to the Media in the Netherlands.
Spooked by Netflix’s growing popularity among African viewers, the continent’s largest television operator wants the disruptor to be regulated, reports Quartz Africa. “This call for regulation is a common call from established monopolies who find their grip on a local market challenged by a tech disruptor, and MultiChoice is no different.
Three major internet service providers in the UK have said they would back a regulator to oversee rules for web giants – but warned lawmakers not to forget smaller firms or the bigger picture, reports the Register.
A human rights campaigner has urged the Malaysian government to form a taskforce of officials and concerned citizens for discussions on changes to the Communications and Multimedia Act, reports Free Malaysia Today.
Germany’s Monopolies Commission in its latest biennial report says that digital change requires legal adjustments regarding price algorithms and the media sector.
Germany’s Monopolies Commission in its latest biennial report says that digital change requires legal adjustments regarding price algorithms and the media sector.
Germany’s top telecoms regulator has set its sights on US technology groups such as Google and Facebook, insisting that providers of messaging and email services should be regulated just like ordinary telecoms companies, reports the Financial Times.
The chief executive of UK regulator Ofcom, Sharon White, has warned regulatory action may be on its way for social media sites that publish news, in a move that brings the platform or publisher debate to the fore.
Stuart Cunningham, Professor of Media and Communications, Queensland University of Technology
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has published a digital report on the future of broadcasting in Canada. The report proposes new tools and regulatory approaches to support the production and promotion of audio and video content made by and for Canadians.
Activists and journalists are concerned that a law passed by Egypt's parliament allows President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi's government to punish press outlets and social media users for publishing “false information”, notes Deutsche Welle.
The Cambodian government will monitor all news and social networking sites with immediate effect, “to prevent the spread of information that can cause social chaos and threaten national security”, reports the Phnom Penh Post.
Arcep, France’s regulator, has issued its “scoreboard and outlook” document for public consultation, which traditionally marks the start of a new round of market analysis,...
The US FCC is proposing to modernise children’s TV rules in a move that is needed now more than ever, according to an article in the Washington Examiner.
A European parliament committee has voted for legislation that internet pioneers fear will turn the web into “a tool for surveillance and control”, reports the Guardian.
An ”archive of ads with political content”, which Facebook made public in May, has become the latest contested piece of territory between platforms and publishers, writes Emily Bell in the Guardian.
An article by Anya Schiffrin in Policy Syndicate considers that for more than a decade, Ecuadorian journalists have increasingly felt the effects of repressive media and speech laws that were supposedly enacted in the "public interest”.
The UK House of Lords Communications Committee has invited contributions to an inquiry on the regulation of the internet, under which the Committee will explore how the regulation of the internet should be improved, and whether specific regulation is required or whether the existing law is adequate.
Working Party 29 (WP29), the group that unites European data protection authorities, has announced “its full support” for investigations by national privacy authorities into the collection and use of personal data by and through social media.
The Nordic Information Centre for Media and Communication Research (Nordicom) has published Public Service Media in the Networked Society, a collection of papers on the role of public sector media.
The National Media Council (NMC), the federal authority tasked with supervising all media activities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has recently issued electronic media activity regulations, notes law firm Clyde&Co.
On 25 May the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force for the 28 member states, but the impact is already far wider as the regulation affects any organisation that keeps data on an EU citizen, which includes all the global internet giants.
A system to alert Canadians to natural disasters and other public safety emergencies via their smartphones is another step closer to reality, reports the Financial Post.
The European Commission’s high-level expert group on fake news and disinformation spread online has produced a report that suggests a definition of the phenomenon and makes a series of recommendations.
Sharon White, head of the UK’s converged regulator, Ofcom, has set out the challenges to public service broadcasters (PSBs) in a speech.
The Guardian reports a paper, published in the journal Science, in which MIT researchers describe an analysis of a vast amount of Twitter data: more than 125,000 stories, tweeted more than 4.5 million times in total, all categorised as being true or false by at least one of six independent fact-checking organisations.
The Italian competition authority (AGCM) has carried out a first enforcement initiative on influencer marketing, “one of the most innovative and powerful advertising tools”. The initiative aims to prevent the circulation through social networks of messages whose commercial intent is not clear.
Turkey will expand the powers of its radio and television watchdog to include overseeing online content providers, under a draft law submitted to parliament on which the main opposition party said amounted to digital censorship, reports Reuters.
The European Commission says social media companies need to do more to respond to the requests, made last March by the Commission and member states’ consumer authorities, to comply with EU consumer rules.
Australia’s largest media organisations fear that new foreign interference laws could see journalists thrown in jail.
An IIC briefing paper: Artificial Intelligence: Why does it matter? What do policy makers in the TMT sector need to think about?
UK regulator, Ofcom, has issued its “International communications market report 2017”, which includes a section on regulatory context.
Findings from the ACMA’s Communications report 2016-17 show that Australia’s demand for online content and services continues to grow unabatedly.
Australia’s government has directed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to start an inquiry into digital platform providers such as Facebook and Google.
Bulgaria will focus its attention on speeding up negotiations on the European Communications Code when it takes over the 6 month rotating presidency of the Council of Ministers in January, notes EurActiv.
The European Parliament has rejected proposed legislation intended to prevent territory-by-territory licensing of programming across the European Union (EU), reports Informitv.
Fake news is a disease that European society needs to be “vaccinated” against, the EU’s digital commissioner Mariya Gabriel said as she opened a call for public comments on how the EU should respond to the spread of false information on internet platforms, reports Euractiv.
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has loosened media ownership regulations in the US after a 3-2 vote by its executive which, while an expected development under the Trump administration, has drawn a mixed reaction, notes Rapid TV News.
FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, wants Apple to turn on the FM radio that’s hidden inside iPhones, reports The Verge. In a statement, he asked that Apple “reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.”
A review by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) evidence group, made up of researchers from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Middlesex University and the University of Central Lancashire, has highlighted the major risks, opportunities and emerging trends for children online.
A trade association whose members include Google, Facebook and Twitter will pitch self-regulation instead of a proposed federal law requiring more disclosure for political advertising on their online platforms, reports Bloomberg.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to eliminate a longstanding rule covering radio and television stations, in a move that could ultimately reshape America's media landscape, reports the Washington Post.
Roberto Viola, European Commission
Mexico’s 2013 telecom reform has brought benefits, spurring competition that has increased access and brought down mobile internet costs from among the highest in advanced economies to among the lowest, according to the OECD Telecommunication and Broadcasting Review of Mexico 2017.
The Brookings Financial and Digital Inclusion Project (FDIP) report for 2017 evaluates access to and usage of affordable financial services by underserved people across 26 geographically, politically and economically diverse countries.
Augusto Preta - CEO, IT Media Consulting, Chairman, IIC Italian Chapter
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