Most of us feel frustrated when not being able to watch the newest television show or the most talked about film online. “Sorry, this content was blocked for your country” is a sentence that pops up on our screen far too often.
It feels a bit awkward that the majority of people can travel across European borders without too many problems, but that content apparently cannot. But change is upon us. In Brussels, the European Commission plans to ensure a free flow – so, no barriers – for content on the Internet. The policy initiative to this end is called the ‘Digital Single Market’.The issue is controversial. Whereas most television viewers and film fanatics love the sound of this, most companies in the industry do not. They fear detrimental effects on their business model. Most likely the European Commission will roll out plans in an adapted and more moderate manner.
Even if such a scenario were to take place, the impact of the United Kingdom, its citizens and its media industries remains to be seen. The possiblity of Brexit is looming and might result in UK citizens still seeing annoying pop up screens on their computer or tablet, preventing them watching content from other countries.
Source: openDemocracy
The European Commission (EC) has proposed over €50 billion ($56 billion) in investments as part of its strategy to create a Digital Single Market.