EU citizens embrace new geo-blocking laws
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Editor
| 29 June 2019

Just over six months after new rules against unjustified geo-blocking of services began to apply, general consumer awareness of the new rules against restrictions is already high according to new research published by the European Commission.

In the Eurobarometer survey, , half of EU citizens expressed general awareness of EU action to tackle unjustified discrimination by traders. However, the EC admitted that more efforts were needed to ensure wider knowledge of the specific digital rights enshrined in EU law, since only 29% of respondents knew which rights specifically concerned them.

In December 2018, as part of the Digital Single Market project, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council reached agreement on copyright legislation for online and broadcast TV with nation states. The new rules were intended to make it easier for European broadcasters to make certain programmes available on their live TV or catch-up services online, and are designed to simplify the distribution of more radio and TV channels by retransmission operators.

The survey showed that audio-visual and other electronically supplied copyright-protected content — including music streaming and downloading, e-books and games — was is among the most popular content sought by consumers across borders. This type of content is not covered by the current rules, yet the EC said that it was likely that it will merit specific attention under EU law in the near future.
The most popular types of content sought across borders is audio-visual, indicated by 9% of respondents, and music (8%). The survey also indicated that this trend is likely to continue, driven by young people in particular; the percentage of 15 to 24 year-old respondents who have tried to access these services across borders is 28%, nearly double the overall figure.

“By banning unjustified geo-blocking last December we made another concrete step for Europe's people and businesses to get the most and best from the digital age,” said vice-president for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip. “I am now pleased to see that Europeans are largely enjoying their new digital right, which is part of a total of 35 new digital rights and freedoms that the Digital Single Market has created, as a new legal environment has fallen into place.”

Commissioner for digital economy and society, Mariya Gabriel, added: “The new rules ending unjustified geo-blocking benefit consumers and traders alike, offering fairer access to products and services within the EU single market. Companies that continue to restrict access to consumers are quite simply breaking the law. The Commission will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the rules are complied with.”