European Broadcasters Demand EU Designate Smart TVs and Voice Assistants as Market ‘Gatekeepers’ and Tighten Regulation.
Europe’s major television corporations have intensified their lobbying efforts toward EU authorities, advocating for the extension of stringent antitrust regulations to encompass the ecosystems of smart televisions and the virtual assistants offered by tech behemoths. This push specifically targets offerings from Google, Amazon, Apple, and Samsung. The proposal originates from the European Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand (ACT), which represents media powerhouses such as Canal+, RTL, ITV, and others. In a submission to the EU’s antitrust body, the broadcasters asserted that the influence wielded by IT companies over content distribution and audience reach has become excessive.
According to their data, the market positions of these technology platforms have significantly solidified in recent years. For instance, the market share for Android TV has climbed from 16% to 23%, Amazon Fire OS from 5% to 12%, and Samsung Tizen has reached 24%. The broadcasters contend that these operating systems now effectively manage user access to content and ought to be subject to the provisions of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
This legislation, which took effect in 2023, is intended to curb the dominance of major tech players and foster greater market competition. However, media companies argue that the current rules fail to account for the growing significance of television platforms and voice assistants. Virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri are singled out as particularly worrisome. Furthermore, the entry of solutions from OpenAI into the market is noted as a factor that could intensify competition in this sector. Crucially, none of these services are currently classified as ‘gatekeepers’ under existing legal definitions.
The broadcasters caution that the absence of regulatory oversight creates a “regulatory vacuum,” enabling digital assistants to essentially dictate access to media content across smartphones, smart speakers, and in-car systems. In their appeal, they urged the European Commission to incorporate smart TVs and virtual assistants within the scope of the DMA, even if these technologies do not formally meet the established thresholds for user numbers or market capitalization. In the view of the industry, this step is essential for preserving a level playing field and averting market monopolization.
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