How have new digital technologies effected how the online media industry is regulated?

How have new digital technologies effected how the online media industry is regulated? 

Catch up and downloadable shows and films

No need for proof of age when signing up for things

Shows and films can be watched anywhere at any time

Regulation is widely ineffective and are near impossible to enforce

Plan:

• Introduction.
• Accessibility has increased in recent years, making download sites and social media more popular.   
• There is no need for users to provide proof of age when signing up for sites. 
• Platforms such as youtube are self-regulated by the content creator rather than a governing body. (Content is regulated by a financial incentive) 
• Creators who are paid to advertise products do not have to tell their audience that they are being paid to sell the product, misleading the audience. (Zoella- Blurring of advertising and reality) 
• Increase in power of companies makes it hard to hold them accountable
• More convergent digital technologies
• More globalised internet (using a VPN to download content that you cannot access in your country)
• Algorithms and de-monetisation
• Lack of protection from harmful content
• (Livingstone and Lunt theory- Regulation is at risk)
• Conclusion. 

Introduction- 

Define key terms/ theories

Define purpose of these terms/theories

Regulation- Rules and restrictions every media product must follow

Purpose- Society needs regulation to be protected from the effects of potentially harmful media forms. Vulnerable people e.g. children need protection from exposure to harmful materials. there should be measures to protect the vulnerable from harmful media exposure. (BBFC, PEGI ETC) 

Issues with regulation- Regulation DOES NOT WORK!! It is ineffective because of the development of new technologies

Livingstone and Lunt- Regulation is at risk theory-

The idea that the increasing power of global media corporations , together with the rise of convergent media technologies and transformations in production, distribution and marketing digital media, have places traditional approaches to media regulation at risk. 

What has changed in terms of regulation?

The ways in which audiences consume the media has changed radically in the past two decades as a result of computer, internet/WWW and technological convergence. 'Digital natives' it is a societal norm now a days for all of us- THE COMPUTER REVOLUTION. Fourie 'coming together of information and communication technologies to create new ways of producing distributing and using knowledge, information and entertainment. Jenkins termed it as 'The black box' essentially a device that supplies us with all our ICT/media requirements. One box 'multi-media hub'- now an actual reality for all audiences. 

The fact that large proportions of audiences are using these 'black boxes', 'multi-media hubs' means that our consumptions is more global than ever. Such globalisation of media consumption online has arguably risked the 'classifications' and guidelines of the regulators. this masks such governmental control difficult to enforce due to innate globalised nature of the internet. 

The global nature of the internet means it's very difficult for an individual nation to take effective action. what might be regulation in one country could be circumvented by simply accessing sites constructed in other parts of the world. No one organisation controls the internet making it difficult to hold individual organisations to account when mistakes and content issues are raised. Moreover, even if an organisation is forced to censor content, it is almost impossible to erase the material from the net. 

The internet is now dominated by a few powerful tech companies, that far from operating as a democratising influence, the internet monetises our personal data into advertising opportunities. Traditional media providers have migrated content to internet based platforms, curtailing the net's capacity to open up media distribution to smaller providers. Emphasis on power and profit rather than protecting vulnerable users from harmful material. 

The ASA is alarmed by the growing number of complaints received concerning covert advertising and product placement on social media platforms. Complaints relate to social media stars, also called 'market influencers', who receive payment to promote products via their social media accounts. 

The ASA is concerned that young audiences might be most at risk. The heavy use of social media by younger audiences makes them particularly vulnerable. The ASA also imply that younger viewers don't have the necessary viewing experience needed to be able to detect product placement when it occurs. 

YouTube is impossible to regulate so algorithms are used to control content. They have responded to lack of regulation by creating automated systems to detect sensitive material. The use of such algorithms has affected YouTubers globally, with content identified as sensitive resulting in the demonetisation of their uploads. 

Attitude Online

Attitude are regulated by IPSO. Even though their content is online they are still considered a magazine so must be regulated as such. 

Attitude does not have effective regulation because there is no need to provide an age when looking at the site and articles that could be harmful to a younger audience an be accessed with one click.

Summery

The growth of a now globalised online media, alongside the increasing power of tech companies that monopolise online content for advertising and commercial purpose have resulted in an industry which is near impossible to regulate, control or contain. Zoella and Attitude are examples of ineffective control- they can attempt to censor content and provide restrictions which protect users but ultimately online media represents an almost lawless industry, a 'wild west' which lacks any strict enforcement to rules or guidelines.