Internet Television Equipment Regulations 2024

Thursday 24th October 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

The Media Act 2024, which received Royal Assent on 24 May, introduces a new online prominence regime. The regime will require particular TV platforms, referred to in the Act as “regulated television selection services”, to give prominence to designated public service broadcaster services—referred to as “designated internet programme services”.

Today the Government have laid the first statutory instrument that will start the implementation process of the new regime.

In particular, these regulations specify which categories of TV devices are to be considered as “internet television equipment” for the purposes of this new prominence framework. This is the first step required to start the designation process.

The next step is for a further set of regulations to be developed, following advice from Ofcom, and establishing which television selection services—used in conjunction with internet television equipment—should be regulated under the new prominence regime.

The purpose of this approach is to ensure that regulation is both targeted and proportionate, and, in particular, that only those devices used by a significant number of UK viewers as a main way of accessing TV will be captured.

The regulations laid today specify smart TVs and streaming devices, including set-top boxes and streaming sticks, as internet television equipment.

However, the Government recognise that, as viewing habits change and new technology emerges, the devices considered internet television equipment may change in the future. Therefore, we will review the list a year after implementation to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.

The Internet Television Equipment Regulations 2024 have been published and can be viewed online at

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/1056/contents/made

An accompanying policy statement can be viewed online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prominence-specifying-internet-television-equipment-a-policy-statement

[HCWS166]