Harry & Meghan documentary fallout: British PM Rishi Sunak to pass law to penalise OTT giants?

For the very first time, common people across the world got a candid view of what it is like to be a part of the British royal family through the recently-released Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan. The limited docu series shows the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, open up about their romance, the many controversies and what led them to quit their full-time jobs at the institution. This is the first time that people have got to hear first-hand what it is like to be a member of the royal family, and not all of it is rosy.

While the documentary has been well received, a lot of people have questioned its accuracy. This has led to the ruling political party in the UK, headed by British PM Rishi Sunak, to give the country's broadcasting watchdog, Office of Communications (Ofcom), more muscle. According to the Telegraph, Sunak and his ministers plan to give Ofcom the power to impose fines up to £250,000 (₹2.5 crore approx) on OTT streaming giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+. This will be included in the Government's Media Bill, which will also promote "distinctively British content," according to The Telegraph.

The new Bill, which UK Cultural Secretary Michelle Donelan hopes to bring into force next year, will also allow Ofcom to regulate streaming services that are not based in the UK, such as Amamzon Prime Video and Apply TV+. Ofcom will then have to draw up a video-on-demand code which will most likely be similar to the rules that the BBC follows.

The new law will also allow viewers to complain to Ofcom about the content of the shows that are streamed on various OTT platforms. Ofcom would then review and investigate the complaints to see if they violate the code of conduct set by it.

Harry & Meghan: Part 1 released on Netflix on December 8, while Harry & Meghan: Part 2 released on December 15.