Spain Seeks to Regulate Internet Celebrities

Spain’s Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC), a regulatory body that deals with fair competition, wants streamers to make a contact point available to their fans. This would allow the audiences to exercise their right to critique and reply to posts.

The measure, which seeks to promote transparency in media, would, according to the CNMC, improve customer protection. It will, however, affect streamers across all platforms, including gambling streamers, which have been getting increasingly popular.

The new rule introduced by the CNMC doesn’t only cover streamers but all kinds of Internet celebrities as well. Vloggers, bloggers, influencers and other people with vast exposure should also provide their fans with a contact point, the regulator insists.

Not Everything Is Clear Yet

In addition to that, the regulator plans to create a State Registry of Audiovisual Communication Service Providers, which will encompass all online celebrities who have registered their activity. An audiovisual service provider, according to the CNMC, is anyone “who has control over the selection of content.”

The authority will ask streamers to provide information about themselves, including their name, nationality, tax identification number or foreign identity number.

However, it is still unclear how the regulator will decide which streamers and influencers to integrate into the registry.

People are still uncertain whether the CNMC plans to include each and every streamer or simply those who are popular. Speaking of this, the CNMC hasn’t been clear enough in its intentions about podcasts either. Finally, the authority is yet to announce what the penalties for violating these rules will be.

What Does That Mean for Gambling Streamers?

Through its new rules, the CNMC seeks to regulate online media and mitigate the harm digital content can cause. Harmful or hateful media will be moderated and restricted. As a result, gambling streamers will be able to only target adults with their content.

The current rules mirror the measures the authority has implemented for TV and radio content and show its willingness to regulate the online sector as well.

In addition, the registry will allow the audiences to freely check the sponsorship deals they have signed – something that is not always the case at the moment.

This level of transparency will help to prevent internet celebrities from promoting harmful content to minors, which includes not only gambling games but unhealthy foods and beverages as well.