In a letter sent to the European Commission on Monday 23 March, eleven European broadcasting associations are calling for the main operating systems for connected TV sets (‘TV OS’) and virtual assistants to be designated as ‘gatekeepers’ in the Digital Markets Act (DMA) (2022/1925) governing digital markets.
This request is based on the observation that these service providers are playing an increasing role in connecting creators of audiovisual content with end users. Between 2019 and 2024, Android TV’s market share rose “from 16% to 23%”, note the European associations.
However, they point out, TV OS systems could have an incentive to keep users within their own ecosystems and disadvantage certain forms of cooperation between broadcasters.
As for virtual assistants, the rapid development of this phenomenon in conjunction with the integration of artificial intelligence systems in the form of chatbots is creating a “regulatory void”, warn European broadcasters, a void that would allow virtual assistants to become de facto gatekeepers to media content via mobile phones, smart speakers and in-car information and entertainment services.
If none of the operating systems for connected TVs and virtual assistants meet the quantitative thresholds set out in the DMA, the eleven associations would like the Commission to open a market investigation on the basis of the qualitative thresholds. And they are calling for a re-examination of the definition of ‘professional users’ for the purposes of designating virtual assistants as ‘gatekeepers’, as part of the current revision of the DMA.
To see the letter from European broadcasters: https://aeur.eu/f/lb1 (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)