Netflix will be policed by Ofcom with fines of up to £250,000 for breaches under plans to be continued under Rishi Sunak.
Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV would also be covered by the regulator for the first time and have to follow a new ‘video-on-demand code’.
It could give viewers a new route to formally complain about shows like Harry & Meghan, which was accused of using misleading footage in a trailer.
Stock footage of the media at a Katie Price court hearing and a Harry Potter movie premiere was used during comments about the couple’s harassment by the media.
Plans to regulate streaming sites were announced in the Spring, when Boris Johnson was still Prime Minister. It’s understood they are still on the government’s agenda despite the change of PM.
Netflix supports the reforms. But there is no guarantee the Media Bill will be brought to the Commons before the next Queen’s Speech, which is only due in Autumn 2023.
That raises a question over whether it will actually be made law before the next general election, which is expected in 2024.
A government source said Parliament had a “busy timetable” so it might not be possible to bring the law forward by next Autumn.
The continuation was first reported by the Sunday Telegraph.
When the move was first announced in April, the government said there was too little to protect viewers from “misleading health advice or pseudoscience documentaries.”.
While Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code applies to BBC iPlayer, it does not apply to streaming services.
The maximum fine to streaming sites under the new regime would be £250,000 or up to 5% of an organisation’s revenue, whichever is higher.
