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On 24 March 2023, in order to meet the challenges of protecting young people in the media in the 21st century, media regulators from Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Cyprus set up an international working group on age verification, which will meet regularly to exchange information about topical issues related to youth protection in the media. They published a joint statement that sets out the main elements of their future cooperation. The working group’s current members are the French Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique...

On 3 May 2023, Ofcom (the UK’s independent communications regulator) gave an update on the repeal of the video-sharing platform (VSP) regulatory framework and what this means for providers in moving to the new online safety regime. Background On 5 December 2022, the UK Government set out the process for repealing the VSP regime in an amendment to the forthcoming Online Safety Bill (OSB). The OSB establishes a new regulatory framework to achieve “the adequate protection of citizens from harm presented by content on regulated services, through the appropriate use by providers of...

On 3 April 2023, Ofcom (the UK’s independent communications regulator) issued guidance to broadcasters on the use of “synthetic media”, including “DeepFakes”. The regulator stated that its Broadcasting Code is adequately equipped to help maintain trust and fairness in programming and reminded licence holders to give thoughtful consideration to their compliance processes. Ofcom understands the term “synthetic media” to mean video, image, text, or voice that has been produced (either fully or partly) with the help of artificial intelligence algorithms....

Ofcom has introduced the BBC’s new operating licence which came into effect on 1 April 2023. The new licence will hold the BBC responsible for delivering its remit, and takes account of innovative ways of distributing content. The licence reflects the changing habits of listeners and viewers, who depend less on linear programme scheduling.   Ofcom became the first independent regulator of the BBC under the current BBC Charter and Agreement, which began on 1 January 2017 and will end on 31 December 2027. Ofcom’s power to regulate the BBC is derived from Section 192...

On 29 March 2023, the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) published a draft Media Bill that reforms the regulatory framework for public service broadcasters (PSBs) in the UK. The Bill aims to level the playing field with streaming services and modernise longstanding broadcast legislation to reflect changes in the global media ecology. The Bill is introduced against the background of a “fierce battle to attract and retain audiences” in the broadcast market, with changes to content consumption habits that have put traditional broadcasters “under unprecedented pressure”,...