AVMSD consultation response

The way Europeans experience audiovisual content has fundamentally changed and with it, the questions we need to ask about regulation, responsibility, and the future of our media ecosystem. When the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) was conceived, broadcasters were the primary gatekeepers of content. Today, global platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have become the main environment where many citizens - especially younger audiences - encounter news, culture, and entertainment.

This shift is not just technological. It raises deeper questions about fairness, accountability, and democratic resilience:

  • Are we still effectively protecting media pluralism when a handful of platforms shape what people see through algorithms?
  • Do current rules ensure a level playing field between heavily regulated European media and global tech platforms with fewer obligations?
  • Are protections for children and consumers keeping pace with how content is consumed today?
  • And how do we ensure that quality journalism and European content remain visible in an algorithm-driven world?

Should we rethink how obligations are assigned: not by technical category, but by the function and influence a service has over public discourse?

How do we ensure innovation in Europe within a framework of trust, fairness, and democratic responsibility?

  • David Nicolas Hopmann, Professor, Ph.D., MSc in Political Science, Centre for Journalism and Digital Democracy Centre, University of Southern Denmark, and
  • Karen Rønde, CEO, Danish Press Publishers Collective Management Organisation (DPCMO)