Weekly New Digital Media - 22.05.17 (75)

Netflix is hiring a new VP of global policy as part of its big expansion in Europe

https://www.recode.net/2017/5/21/15669426/netflix-hiring-global-policy-expansion-europe 

                                   



As part of its fast-growing Amsterdam hub, Netflix is seeking a new vice president of global public policy, a major regulatory role that will focus on media ownership, net neutrality, competition, tax law and other issues percolating throughout the European Union and beyond. A spokeswoman for Netflix also confirmed Libertelli’s departure, adding in a statement: “[G]iven the role's global profile and our global expansion, the idea is to find a replacement more centrally located to oversee teams in Asia, Europe and US.” many in the tech industry, Netflix has had its run-ins with local European privacy regulators. It’s also watched as the European Commission’s leading competition cop, Margrethe Vestager, has scrutinized local pay-TV deals, probed U.S. tech giants’ tax practices and investigated online platforms. EU regulators have weighed in recent years whether to force video-streaming companies to dedicate 20% of their offerings to Europe-made content. Some in the industry, including Netflix, have raised red flags with such strict quotas. And the region itself only this year eased some rules so that EU citizens can access their favourite TV shows and movies when they travel to neighbouring European countries. Before the change, licensing restrictions rendered it impossible to view the same content across EU borders.

In my Opinion: Netflix is growing, it is becoming a well known streaming service that offers pure entertainment to its users. By Netflix expanding can only mean more opportunities for them in terms of the shows that are created but it could also mean that regulations that Netflix would have to follow because of which country they might be. Although a lot more international markets are becoming interested in Netflix, the amount of Netflix has paid subscribers has also increased, which supports that the shows/entertainment that Netflix provides, it pay worthy.