Rishi Sunak will give UK’s broadcasting watchdog the power to take on Netflix for the first time, amid a row about accuracy in the Harry & Meghan documentary, a report said. This comes as UK ministers are planning to pass a new law that would bring all streaming giants under the jurisdiction of Ofcom and hand it the power to impose fines of up to £250,000, Telegraph reported.
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This would also enable viewers to complain to Ofcom about shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime and other services and see them investigated for breaches of a new code of conduct, the report added. The plans will form part of the Government’s Media Bill, which will also promote “distinctively British content”, The Telegraph reported.
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This comes as Netflix was criticised for misleading viewers in Harry & Meghan, a six-part documentary series by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Earlier, it was reported that a photograph used in the documentary’s trailer, showing how the couple were hounded by the press, later transpired to have been taken at a Harry Potter film premiere. The trailer also included footage that appeared to show photographers scrambling for a shot of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which was claimed to be false.
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Under the broadcasting rules outlined in Ofcom’s code, “factual programmes or items or portrayals of factual matters must not materially mislead the audience”. Following the release of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s documentary, UK regulator was forced to issue a statement reminding the public that while it was “sometimes contacted by people who’ve seen something they found harmful or offensive on a streaming service like Netflix”, it was powerless to take any action.
