World’s broadcasters urge EU to tighten rules for big tech in smart TV battle

## Summary
Services such as Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Services such as Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian World’s broadcasters urge EU to tighten rules for big tech in smart TV battle Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung control operating systems, allowing them to act as gatekeepers, letter claims Business live – latest updates The world’s largest broadcasters have pushed for the EU to enforce its toughest regulations against virtual TVs and smart assistants built by Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung . Idris Elba-backed firm Huel bought by Danone in €1bn deal Read more Services such as Amazon’s Fire TV and Google TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others.

## Article Content
Services such as Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others.
Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
View image in fullscreen
Services such as Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others.
Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
World’s broadcasters urge EU to tighten rules for big tech in smart TV battle
Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung control operating systems, allowing them to act as gatekeepers, letter claims
Business live – latest updates
The world’s largest broadcasters have pushed for the EU to enforce its toughest regulations against virtual TVs and smart assistants built by Google, Amazon, Apple and
Samsung
.
The call came in a letter from the Association of Commercial
Television
and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT), whose members include Canal+, RTL, Mediaset, ITV, Paramount+, NBCUniversal, Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Sky and TF1 Groupe.
The letter argues that big tech companies have growing control over the operating systems of smart TVs and voice assistants, allowing them to act as “gatekeepers” funnelling users towards some content and away from others.
Idris Elba-backed firm Huel bought by Danone in €1bn deal
Read more
Services such as Amazon’s Fire TV and Google TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others. These systems, built into many smart TVs, stand to shape how millions of users consume television.
“A limited number of operators are therefore gaining growing ability to shape outcomes for millions of users and businesses by controlling access to audiences and content distribution,” ACT wrote in a letter to the EU’s antitrust chief, Teresa Ribera,
reported by Reuters
.
“It is crucial that the commission designate major TV operating systems ​as gatekeepers and ensure adequate oversight to guarantee fairness and contestability,” the broadcasters said.
Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung have been approached for comment.
ACT’s letter comes amid heightened tension between European authorities and Donald Trump’s administration over the regulation of US tech companies, which has led to a series of tussles over how these firms operate in Europe.
Brussels is reportedly preparing to intensify enforcement of its key anti-competition rules, and the Trump administration has said this is “discriminatory” against US companies.
In early February, the EU
threatened action against Meta
for blocking rival AI chatbots from using its WhatsApp business platform, saying it was abusing its dominant market position. Meta said there was no reason for the EU to intervene and that it was not a key distribution channel for AI chatbots.
Ribera
said on Monday
that a decision was soon to come on whether Google’s search engine is breaking the EU’s Digital Markets Act, an investigation that has been ongoing since 2024.
In December
the US imposed sanctions
on the former European commissioner Thierry Breton as well as four other European “activists”, accusing them of censorship and “suppress[ing] American viewpoints”. The move was widely seen as an escalation in response to European regulation of US tech platforms.
Breton is challenging the sanctions and the commission has announced it will back him.
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
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### Implications
- Services such as Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others.
- Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Services such as Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others.
- Idris Elba-backed firm Huel bought by Danone in €1bn deal Read more Services such as Amazon’s Fire TV and Google TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others.
- ACT’s letter comes amid heightened tension between European authorities and Donald Trump’s administration over the regulation of US tech companies, which has led to a series of tussles over how these firms operate in Europe.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers google, amazon, systems topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 546.