‘It would inevitably be easier to remove content’: Netflix warns UK government not to pursue new streaming regulations

When Netflix is not busy canceling shows, it studiously removes existing content from its platform to make space for new ones. But while the latter is majorly a non-threatening procedure, the British government just made the streamer weaponize its idle process by asking it to follow an “onerous” regulation. 

The not-so-subtly expressed threat is a result of U.K. ministers wanting streamers to follow their “Media Bill” that would allow media regulator Ofcom to monitor and regulate such platforms like it does traditional broadcasters. This bill, if it becomes a law, would condemn Netflix and other streamers like it to fall victim to staggering fines of up to $310,000 in case its content is deemed harmful based on complaints from viewers. 

But Netflix, not ready to take a beating lying down, has responded to the bill in a scathing submission to U.K. Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee as reported by Variety. Denoting the draft legislation with terms like “nebulous” and onerous,” the streamer stressed how the new regulation would mean not only mean constantly re-assessing its content library as any show or film could be deemed offensive at any point in time, but also “purging titles on a regular basis” based on the evaluation no matter how new the addition is to the platform. 

Well, apparently deleting or canceling content on someone else’s directive is a big no for a platform that just loves to doom the most loved shows without a backward glance. Anyway, it is evident Netflix ain’t a big fan of the proposed rules and has warned that if they are enforced, it will simply choose to remove content from its U.K. library instead of letting someone else’s verdict decide its fate. 

“The range and variety of Netflix’s content, generally considered a strength of our offering in terms of maximising choice for British viewers, could equally become a potential source of risk from a compliance perspective if it fell within Ofcom’s remit.

Without considerably greater clarity around the scope and application of these provisions, it would inevitably be easier to remove content pre-emptively from our UK catalogue than risk an onerous compliance burden and potential liability.”

Netflix has also argued about lumping streamers with TV channels as anyone can accidentally witness harmful content on traditional broadcasters, but one has to make a conscious choice to click on a title on a streamer. 

So, who will win if push does come to shove eventually? Well, the U.K. can be as stubborn as it wants to be in its crusade to tighten its hold on streamers but it won’t like the backlash that will follow if Netflix starts rolling back its expansive library in the country. But on the other hand, the streamer gets a big chunk of subscribers from the U.K., and seeing that it isn’t exactly faring well in the number of new viewers, losing more just to spite a government would not be a good idea.