EU broadcasters say smart TVs and voice assistants are the next gatekeepers

Summary

Europe's broadcasters say smart TVs and voice assistants are fast becoming the next Big Tech gatekeepers, with little sign of Brussels stepping in. The warning comes in an open letter addressed to European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera, signed by industry groups including the Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The letter urges the Commission to bring connected TV operating systems and virtual assistants within the scope of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), arguing that both now sit squarely between audiences and the content they're trying to watch or hear, with growing influence over how that content is surfaced. The concern isn't the screens themselves, but the software layer deciding what gets shown, whether that's a recommendation row on a TV homepage or the answer served up when a user asks a voice assistant for something to watch. That layer, broadcasters argue, now controls search, recommendations, and app visibility in much the same way app stores and search engines do on phones and PCs – only without the same regulatory scrutiny. The DMA is supposed to rein in "gatekeepers" with rules against self-preferencing and unfair access, but so far, no connected TV platforms or virtual assistants have been put in that bucket, a gap the letter says is only getting wider. "With the future viability of many European TV broadcasters at stake, and with millions of EU businesses and consumers relying on CTVs to promote and access an expanding range of content via TV applications, it is crucial that the Commission designate major TV operating systems as gatekeepers and ensure adequate oversight to guarantee fairness and contestability," the letter states. "While CTVs can offer significant opportunities for European businesses to develop and compete – not only in audiovisual content, but also in gaming, health and other applications – these opportunities risk being unde...