New laws could force Netflix and YouTube to create more Australian content

Streaming providers make a hefty variety of dollarydoos in Australia, with Netflix boasting 11 million Aussie subscribers in accordance to the most recent market analysis from Roy Morgan. 

However, regardless of these spectacular numbers, the US big has solely poured a small quantity of that cash again into the native movie and tv business, producing just one Australian Netflix Original sequence (Tidelands, pictured) since its launch in 2015.

That could all change following a brand new report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which sheds mild on the practices of digital platforms and how they conduct enterprise in Australia.

The report, launched by treasurer Josh Frydenberg and communications minister Paul Fletcher, places ahead a complete of 23 suggestions for elevated regulation of digital platforms. 

Following the inquiry, Fletcher appeared on ABC’s Insiders program to talk about native content guidelines that weren’t immediately addressed within the report, with the communications minister recommending that digital platforms like Netflix, Google and Facebook be held to the identical laws and rules that different media firms are pressured to abide by. 

“Would you like to see #Netflix making a bigger contribution to the Australian economy?” @annabelcrabb asks @PaulFletcherMP, because the Government appears to be like to tighten laws on on-line media firms #Insiders #auspol pic.twitter.com/JntkGpGd2JJuly 27, 2019

“Clearly, one of the questions is: obligations on free-to-air television networks and on subscription TV for Australian content, does it stack up for Netflix not to have such obligations, those are questions we’ll consider,” mentioned Fletcher, additional stating that the ACCC will “be interested in the feedback of stakeholders.”

He continued, “as this report analyses, there’s a set of obligations on one set of businesses, serving Australians and providing content, namely traditional free-to-air and pay TV operators. There is no such obligation on Netflix, or indeed on Stan, or others which are also providing content to Australians.”

“It raises significant policy questions, those are precisely the kinds of questions that this comprehensive ACCC report [examines],” mentioned Fletcher.

[by way of The Guardian]