FreeTV call for more regulation of Facebook and Google
"We are competing with these platforms for advertising dollars and for viewers," say commercial networks.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Commercial network lobby group FreeTV has lodged a submission with the ACCC inquiry into digital platforms, calling for greater regulatory oversight of Facebook and Google.
Free to Air networks have long argued for a level playing field with other content platforms as advertising revenue declines.
Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said “This is a watershed moment for the media sector. Google and Facebook have become virtual monopolies, with huge influence and market power, but very little regulatory oversight. We are competing with these platforms for advertising dollars and for viewers. The ACCC has a critical role to play in ensuring that this fight occurs on fair terms.
“Commercial television broadcasters are still operating under a regulatory framework which was largely conceived in the 1980’s. We are the cornerstone of the Australian production ecosystem and the source of trusted news content that is vital to our democracy. The ACCC needs to ensure that the regulatory framework does not inhibit competition so that all Australians can continue to enjoy the local news and entertainment content they depend on.”
The FreeTV submission identifies a number of key areas of concern:
· Heavy regulation on traditional media providers and almost none on Facebook and Google
· Questionable claims about the reach, viewability, cost and effectiveness of advertising on Facebook and Google platforms
· A lack of independent measurement standards and tools to allow advertisers to easily assess the relative value of competing platforms
· The ability of Facebook and Google to acquire potential competitors and require the use of their own products in order to access their platforms
· Profiting from the content of others without payment or consent
· A mammoth scale of data collected and stored without the informed consent of consumers and now a real barrier to entry in digital markets
· Misuse of personal data and infringement of personal privacy
· Actively profiting from pirate content that destroys the market for content creators.
10 Responses
And in other breaking news – candlestick makers lobby government for more regulation of lightbulb manufacturers and coachbuilders ask for more regulation over motor cars…..
It comes down to local content & drama rules which digital platforms are not required to adhere to.
I don’t think it has anything in regard to old and new technology, it’s not an even playing field.
The ACCC has been charged with looking at competition and market power in the media and advertising with respect to technological change, especially search engines, social media and content aggregation and information asymmetry. This all fits with that, though FTA is pushing some of it to try and block competition to boost their profits, and it will be taken as such.
‘We’re struggling to remain relevant’
‘It’s someone else’s fault, make things hard for them and keep giving us tax breaks’.
Nooooope.
I understand that a few windows were almost broken by the first barrage of laughter when FTA asked the lawyers for “No Win, No Fee” and that the second barrage of Guffaws reached Village Roadshow HQ after the suggestion that our Govt could regulate part of the Internet.
FTA has been irrelevant to me for ages and this is before YouTube gets going to match Netflix,Amazon Prime etc!
Rather than push for something to be more regulated, they should stop whinging; bite the bullet and all jump on either iView, Stan or Netflix. Three unbranded streaming sites. SBSOnDemand remains separate.
They should also buy shows off of Netflix to air FTA, Put together a charter for the next few years as a group, And lastly FreeView needs to be more of a lobby group rather than a tech company or service. That’ll save costs.
Netflix shows are not for sale. Nine co-owns Stan already.
Ah, well in that case well done to Netflix! You’d think with all the cooperation going on between 7, 9 and 10 surely they’d figure out an online platform (for arguments sake, Stan) which can be mutually beneficial to all parties?
Is this FTA trying to save us from ourselves or are they upset that they cannot compete with social media?
If it is the former, then I don’t need your help FTA, you became irrelevant a long time ago.