Netflix
exclusive: The British government fired a warning shot at Netflix amidst this uproar. baby reindeer He defended the scandal and said “high standards” would be held under the new streaming laws.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has reminded Netflix that the UK Media Bill will transfer world-class powers to police content on streaming services to regulator Ofcom.
Questions were asked whether the Bill would give Ofcom powers to pursue concerns about: baby reindeerA government spokesperson told Deadline: Our media bill would also hold mainstream video-on-demand services to similarly high standards. ”
Ofcom will draft and enforce a new Video on Demand code that will allow viewers, posters and other users to complain about accuracy issues or potentially harmful content.
A regulatory expert told Deadline that under the new law, Richard Gadd's alleged stalker, Fiona Harvey, could file an impartiality and privacy complaint against Netflix after she was identified online. He said he could do it.
The Media Bill is currently at the legislative stage in a House of Lords committee, and Ofcom's video-on-demand regulations are not expected to be finalized until next year. So-called Tier 1 streamers such as Netflix will have an additional 12 months to become “fully compliant.”
government intervention in baby reindeer This comes as Netflix faces growing questions about its compliance standards after Gadd's series sparked an internet guessing game over the characters' real-life identities.
Gad's eight-part drama is billed as a “true story” about his experiences with a suspected stalker, named Martha (played by Jessica Gunning) on the show.within a few days baby reindeer In last month's premiere, the real-life Martha was identified by an online detective.
Martha has now been appointed by Scottish solicitor Harvey. In an interview with Piers Morgan on Thursday, she denied the stalking allegations and threatened to sue Netflix over its duty of care procedures.
Harvey revealed he hasn't been contacted by Netflix until now. baby reindeer debuted and said he was exposed to death threats and phone calls from strangers because of the show. This interview has been viewed over 7 million times on his YouTube.
Prominent British industry figures echo Mr Harvey's concerns. Former television producer Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club The book will be made into a movie for Netflix. baby reindeer Netflix will become “patient zero” for compliance. Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T. Davies said the BBC would have been “much more stringent” than Netflix regarding its duty of care.
Deadline asked Netflix a series of questions, including about the company's safety standards and whether it contacted Harvey after the alleged incident that threatened her life. The streaming service did not respond, raising further questions about how seriously it was taking the concerns.
baby reindeer It was given the green light by Anne Mensah, head of Netflix UK, in 2020, but it is unclear how comprehensive the company's editorial compliance regime is in the UK.
Appearing in the UK Parliament on Wednesday, the streamer's head of UK public policy Benjamin King defended the show and said appropriate steps had been taken to protect identities. King declined to comment on safety standards.
baby reindeer This is a British success story in many ways. The Clerkenwell Films-produced film has exploded on the streamer, racking up nearly 54 million views since its April 11 release. It has been his number one English series on Netflix for three consecutive weeks.
A DCMS spokesperson praised Netflix's investment in the UK. “Netflix and other streaming services are producing great content and investing heavily in the UK's world-leading creative industries. We want to keep this going,” they said. .
