IRIS newsletter 2026-7
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European Audiovisual Observatory
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Executive Director: Pauline Durand-Vialle
Maja Cappello, Editor • Amélie Lacourt, Justine Radel, Sophie Valais, Diego de la Vega, Deputy Editors (European Audiovisual Observatory)
Documentation/Press Contact: Alison Hindhaugh
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E-mail: alison.hindhaugh@coe.int
Proofreading of original texts and machine translations:
Linda Byrne • Aurélie Courtinat • Paul Green • Barbara Grokenberger • Catherine Koleda • Udo Lücke • Marco Polo Sarl • Erwin Rohwer • Sonja Schmidt • Nathalie Sturlèse • Ulrike Welsch • David Windsor
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ISSN 2078-6158
© 2025 European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg (France)
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Editorial
The recently published 2026 Rule of Law Report highlights that reforms are under way in EU member states to align their national laws with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). For example, several countries are undertaking reforms to strengthen the independent functioning and financing of public service media. A prominent example featured in this newsletter is Hungary, where a few weeks ago its public broadcaster suspended its programmes for a few hours to air an apology message, pledging independence and renewed trust. This big gesture followed a broad structural reform of the public broadcasting service and amendments to the Media Act. Estonia is another example of this, with the recent amendment of its Public Broadcasting Act which now requires an expert majority on its Council.
One of the EMFA’s main priorities is media pluralism. Indeed, audiences must be able to rely on media outlets, not only for their independence and good governance, but also for the integrity and diversity of the content they provide. In this regard, the French regulator recently found that the expression of different viewpoints had not been achieved on channel CNews and issued a formal notice in response to obvious and persistent imbalance.
At the same time, other founding principles of EU media law have recently been reaffirmed. The country-of-origin principle, for example, has been upheld twice. First, in a European Commission decision concerning a media service provider established in Luxembourg and targeting Hungarian audiences, and second, by the Court of Justice of the European Union in a case addressing the imposition of restrictions by France on services established in another member state.
But maybe the most talked-about issue these days is the introduction of the so-called social media bans (or delays) in several countries. The special panel of experts to develop a strong and practical European approach to keep children safe online set up by EC President von der Leyen has presented its final report, providing recommendations and inspiration on better protecting and empowering children, as well as on the age-appropriate use of social media and other digital services. The European Commission has also issued a formal opinion to France requiring amendments to its draft legislation banning access to social media for users under 15. The French Parliament and Senate subsequently approved the bill, which not only provides for a broad ban on social media for teenagers, but also a ban on mobile phones in secondary schools. In parallel, the European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for a new strategy for media literacy and digital learning.
As you can see, there’s lots going on and more coming your way when we return in September. In the meantime, I wish you a great summer.
Enjoy the read!
Maja Cappello, Editor
European Audiovisual Observatory
International
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
CoE: European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights: Miladze v. Georgia
In its judgment in Miladze v. Georgia, delivered on 19 May 2026, the European Court of Human Rights examined the permissibility of an instance of verbal violence targeting public officials on social media under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). A fine imposed by the Georgian courts for an expletive-ridden tirade on TikTok did not – the Court held unanimously – violate the applicant’s right to freedom of expression. The applicant, a food courier and activist, uploaded a short video to TikTok, protesting against changes in transport policy in the city...
CoE: European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights: Karchava v. Georgia
The European Court of Human Rights held that Georgia violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights by arresting a lone protester after he refused to comply with police orders to refrain from setting up a protest tent on a public square in Batumi. The Court found unanimously that domestic courts failed to provide relevant and sufficient reasons for the interference with the protester’s right to freedom of expression. Facts of the case The applicant, a children’s mental health specialist, planned to stage a solo demonstration to protest the lack of free lunches...
EUROPEAN UNION
EU: Council of the EU
The 2026 revision of the AI Act
On 29 June 2026, the Council of the European Union approved the regulation amending the existing AI Act. The text was officially signed on 8 July 2026 by both the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, and is soon to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. With this revised version, stronger protections for children in the context of AI have been implemented. Legislators introduced new prohibitions in Article 5 targeting certain AI practices. These provisions are set to take effect from 2 December 2026. It is now forbidden to place...
EU: Court of Justice of the European Union
Meta v. AGCOM: CJEU confirms the Italian model for fair compensation of press publishers
In its judgment of 12 May 2026, in Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd v. Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its first interpretation of Article 15 of Directive (EU) 2019/790 on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market (DSM) Copyright Directive. More specifically, the CJEU examined whether the Italian implementation of the press publishers' neighbouring right – introduced through Article 43-bis of the Italian Copyright Act (Law No. 633/1941) – is compatible with EU law. The proceedings...
EU: Court of Justice of the European Union
CJEU: Grand Chamber clarifies age verification obligations, the country-of-origin principle and intermediary liability
On 16 June 2026, the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its judgment in Joined Cases C-188/24 (WebGroup Czech Republic a.s. and NKL Associates s.r.o. v. Ministre de la Culture and Premier ministre) and C-190/24 (Coyote System), following requests for preliminary rulings from the French Council of State (Conseil d'État). The judgment addresses several questions of broad relevance for the regulation of online services within the European Union, notably the scope of the country-of-origin principle, the conditions under which member states may impose...
EU: Court of Justice of the European Union
Court of Justice of the European Union: jurisdiction over infringements of personality rights following the dissemination of content across several member states
On 18 June 2026, the Second Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its judgment in Case C-232/25, which shed light on a doctrine supplementing the Court’s case law with regard to the jurisdiction of courts of the state in which a harmful event violating personality rights occurred, as established under Article 7(2) of the Brussels I-bis Regulation. In the case at hand, a former Polish soldier (Z.R.) and a Polish association of veterans (Światowy Związek Żołnierzy AK) sued two German co-producers, ZDF and UFA Fiction, following the broadcast of a series on...
EU: European Commission
“Stop Killing Videogames”: The European Commission response to the Citizen's initiative
On 16 June 2026, the European Commission published its response to the Citizens’ Initiative “Stop Destroying Videogames”, which gathered over 1.29 million signatures across at least seven member states (ECI(2024)000007). The Citizens’ Initiative, established under Regulation (EU) No 2019/788, is designed to allow citizens to call for new EU legislation. In this case, the request was for publishers to leave games in a playable state after ending commercial support, and to prevent remote deactivation of games post-sale. The campaign notably followed the controversial removal...
EU: European Commission
2026 Rule of Law report
On 17 July 2026, the European Commission published its seventh annual report on the rule of law. The report examines developments in every EU country as well as in four enlargement countries: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The report assesses positive and negative developments in four key areas, one of which relates to media pluralism and freedom. It is accompanied by country chapters and a set of recommendations targeted at each country. With regard to the independence of media regulators, the Commission recalls that both the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and...
EU: European Commission
European Commission reaffirms country-of-origin principle
In a recent decision, the European Commission confirmed the country-of-origin principle, according to which media service providers are subject exclusively to the law and jurisdiction of their member state of establishment, irrespective of the fact that their programmes are transmitted and viewed in other member states. This decision followed a request by the Hungarian media regulatory authority (Nemzeti Média és Hírközlési Hatóság – NMHH) to apply its own rules against the Luxembourg-based media service provider CLT-UFA SA. The request, pursuant...
EU: European Commission
Publication of the report from the European Commission's Special Panel on Child Safety Online's
On 13 July 2026, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the delivery of a highly-anticipated report by the Commission’s Special Panel on Child Safety Online. She underlined how important the protection of children online is and how she considered it to be one of the greatest challenges that today’s governments face. The panel, co-chaired by Dr. Maria Melchior and Prof. Dr. Jörg M. Fegert brought together young people and experts from across the EU, discussing how to better support parents and caregivers and highlighting key lessons and good practices...
EU: European Parliament
European Parliament resolution on a new strategy for media literacy and digital learning
The complexity of the modern media ecosystem, coupled with changes in the way people access, create and share information and disinformation online, as well as AI-generated content and algorithmic curated content, has prompted the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) to explore a new approach to media literacy and digital learning. This initiative was led by Marcos Ros Sempere, a Spanish Member of the European Parliament. Following the publication of the first draft in March 2026, the parliament adopted Resolution 2025/2181(INI) on a new strategy for media literacy...
NATIONAL
Belgium
[BE] A free cake, a borrowed bag, and two administrative fines: the Flemish Media Regulator takes action against content creators once again
On 18 May 2026, the General Chamber of the Flemish Media Regulator (Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media - VRM) issued two decisions against Flemish influencers for failing to clearly identify commercial communication in their online videos. In the cases of VRM v. Josefien Weyns (Decision No. 2026/034) and VRM v. Galatea Rommelaere (Decision No. 2026/031), both content creators were fined EUR 1 500 for violating Article 53 of the Flemish Media Decree (i.e. the decree of 27 March 2009 on radio broadcasting and television), which requires that commercial communications be “readily recognisable as...
[BE] A positive assessment for local media, but challenges remain
The Higher Audiovisual Council (Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel – CSA) of the French Community of Belgium recently published an evaluation report on the fulfilment of the public service remit and implementation of five other specific objectives by the 12 French-speaking Belgian local media organisations that replaced local television stations. The public service obligations are set out in agreements between the Government of the French Community and each local media organisation. They relate to news, cultural development, lifelong learning (including media...
Germany
[DE] Right of access to information on state reception guest lists
On 19 May 2026, the Munich Higher Administrative Court (Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof – VGH) ruled in interim relief proceedings (case no. 7 CE 26.397) that the Free State of Bavaria was obliged to provide online news portal Apollo News with information regarding the names, roles and associated institutions of guests who attended state receptions organised by the Bavarian State Government between 2022 and 2025 as part of the Ludwig Erhard Summit. In cases involving claims for information under press law, urgent legal protection is required where there is a substantial general public...
[DE] Teleshopping channel has no right to greater visibility through inclusion on the "public value" list
In its judgement of 27 May 2026, the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia (Oberverwaltungsgericht Nordrhein-Westfalen – OVG NRW) (case no. 13 A 2858/24) ruled, with regard to the teleshopping channel QVC, that teleshopping channels are not entitled to preferential visibility through inclusion in the so-called "public value list" maintained by the state media authorities. Section 84 of the Interstate Media Treaty (Medienstaatsvertrag – MStV) obliges providers of smart TVs and other user interfaces to ensure that programmes that make a significant contribution...
[DE] jugendschutz.net annual report once again highlights sexualised violence and extremist hate content as key challenges for the protection of young people online
In its recently published 2025 annual report on the protection of minors on the internet, jugendschutz.net highlighted current risks and the need for action, once again identifying sexualised violence and extremist hate content as key problems online. AI, including AI-powered chatbots also known as AI companions, played a central role in this context. For instance, minors could be exposed to inappropriate content, including sexualised material, both when interacting with chatbots and on AI-powered social media services such as Butterflies.AI, without any effective age verification...
Estonia
[EE] Parliament amends the Public Broadcasting Act to require an expert majority on the Council of the Estonian public service broadcaster
On 17 June 2026, the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) adopted amendments to the Estonian Public Broadcasting Act (Eesti Rahvusringhäälingu seadus) reshaping the composition of the Council of the Estonian public service broadcaster (Eesti Rahvusringhääling - ERR) by 60 votes to 25. President Alar Karis promulgated the law on 2 July 2026, while publicly cautioning that although the amendments do not contradict the Constitution, they could affect press freedom adversely if political parties appoint council members who defend party rather than public interests. The ERR Council...
Spain
[ES] Spanish court clarifies the limits on the reuse of viral television footage
The Madrid Provincial Court (Audiencia Provincial de Madrid) has confirmed and partially expanded a judgment against Spanish broadcaster Atresmedia, finding that the repeated reuse of footage featuring a private individual over a period of more than fifteen years infringed her right to her own image and, in certain instances, her right to honour. The Court increased the damages awarded from EUR 40 000 to EUR 50 000 and ordered the broadcaster to remove the contested recordings from its platforms and avoid any further similar use. The case concerns a television interview broadcast by Antena 3...
France
France bans under 15 from accessing social media, after formal opinion by the European Commission
A draft piece of French legislation proposing to ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media had prompted a formal opinion from the European Commission, stating that it overlapped with the Digital Services Act (DSA). The opinion required French lawmakers to revise the bill and negotiate a compromise between the first version of the bill, approved by the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale), and the second version, adopted by the Senate. The National Assembly’s version proposed a broad ban that applied to all “social network services online provided by...
[FR] Pluralism in the expression of different schools of thought: Arcom serves CNews with a formal notice for clear and persistent imbalance
In a decision dated 12 June 2026, the French audiovisual regulator (Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique – Arcom) served a formal notice on the broadcaster of the CNews channel to ensure, in future, that its news programmes comply with the requirement for pluralism of schools of thought and opinion. In March 2025, the channel had displayed a clear and persistent imbalance in favour of a single school of thought. The decision follows on from the case law of the Council of State (Conseil d'Etat), in particular the decisions...
[FR] Related rights for newspaper publishers: Competition authority orders Meta to negotiate in good faith with publishers and news agencies
The Act of 24 July 2019, transposing Directive (EU) 2019/790 of 17 April 2019, introduced a related right for publishers and news agencies. In this context, Meta had entered into agreements in 2021 and 2024 with a trade union representing the interests of the general news press (Alliance de la Presse d’Information Générale – APIG), and a collective management organisation dedicated to defending the related rights of publishers and press agencies (Société des Droits Voisins de la Presse – DVP), covering payment of related rights until the end of 2024...
Greece
[GR] New law implementing the EMFA on licensing of regional television stations
Following the adoption of a law implementing the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) on public service broadcasting in November 2025 (see IRIS 2026-1:1/15), a new law, enacted by the Greek Parliament on 11 June 2026, contains an additional disposition related to the implementation of the EMFA. This disposition relates to the licensing of regional television stations. Law 5308/2026 creates, in compliance with Article 6 paragraph 2 of the EMFA Regulation, the National Database for the ownership of all types of media (newspapers, websites, radio and television media of all kinds, whether...
Hungary
[HU] Comprehensive structural reform of public service broadcasting with the amendment to the Media Act
A comprehensive amendment to the Hungarian media regulatory framework has come into force, introducing significant structural changes to the national media authority, public service broadcasting governance, and media financing mechanisms. Act XXI of 2026, which substantially modifies the Hungarian Media Act (Act CLXXXV of 2010 on Media Services and Mass Communication), as well as Act XXXVI of 2012 on the National Assembly, was enacted at the end of June 2026, with its core institutional and structural provisions taking legal effect on 27 June 2026. The legislative changes systematically restructure...
[HU] New legislation restricting political advertisements which incite hatred and regulating the placement of commercial advertising
Newly introduced legal provisions have substantially modified the pre-existing regulatory parameters governing political messaging, municipal aesthetic criteria for commercial advertisements, and specific investment rules in Hungary. Act XX of 2026 on the restriction of political advertisements capable of inciting hatred, ensuring the alignment of economic advertisements with the townscape, and amending certain investment regulations was enacted at the end of June 2026, with its primary provisions coming into force on 27 June 2026. The legislative package overhauls the existing statutory framework...
Latvia
[LV] Amendment to the Electronic Mass Media Law permits renewal of website access restrictions before their expiry
On 11 June 2026, the Latvian Parliament (Saeima) adopted a single-provision amendment to the Electronic Mass Media Law (Elektronisko plašsaziņas līdzekļu likums). The amendment was promulgated by President Edgars Rinkēvičs on 19 June 2026, published in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis on the same date (OP 2026/117.11), and entered into force on 20 June 2026. It supplements Article 21.8, paragraph 2.1 of the National Electronic Mass Media Council law (Nacionālā elektronisko plašsaziņas līdzekļu padome – NEPLP), allowing the media regulator to now adopt repeated decisions...
