Page 12 - aruba-today-20201031

A12 technology
Saturday 31 OctOber 2020
Netflix raising US streaming prices amid booming growth

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE ada from the end of March
AP Technology Writer to the end of June.
SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Netflix is also facing more
Netflix is raising most of its competition than ever, in-
U.S. prices by 8% to 13% as cluding deep-pocketed ri-
its video streaming service vals that include Amazon,
rides a wave of rising pop- Apple, Walt Disney and
ularity spurred by govern- AT&T. And several of those
ment-imposed lockdowns plans are far less expensive
that corralled people at than Netflix's U.S. plan.
home during the fight Apple's year-old stream-
against the pandemic. ing service costs just $5 per
The increases imposed month for a relatively small
Friday boost the cost of selection of TV series and
Netflix's most popular U.S. films, but the iPhone maker
streaming plan by $1 to $14 is trying to extend its reach
per month, while a premium by pouring more money
plan that allows more peo- into programming and
ple to watch the service on bundling with its some of its
different screens simultane- other services. For instance,
ously will now cost $2 more a plan that includes video,
at $18 per month. Netflix's music, video games and
basic U.S. plan remains at online storage is being of-
$9 per month. It marks Net- This Aug. 13, 2020 file photo shows a logo for Netflix on a remote control in Portland, Ore. fered for $15 per month, or
flix's first price changes in Associated Press just a $1 more than Netflix's
the U.S. since an increase cated in the U.S. other entertainment ven- the price increases may most popular stand-alone
rolled out early last year. The move had been wide- ues. The Los Gatos, Cali- test the bounds of Netflix's plan. "We understand peo-
New U.S. subscribers will be ly expected after Netflix fornia, company gained popularity, especially if the ple have more entertain-
charged the higher prices raised its prices in Canada 28 million worldwide sub- pandemic-driven recession ment choices than ever
immediately, while the in- earlier this month and then scribers during the first nine deepens and forces more and we're committed to
creases will affect existing ended free 30-day trials in months of the year, already U.S. households to curtail delivering an even better
customers in phases dur- the U.S. Netflix's price hike eclipsing its growth for the their spending. experience for our mem-
ing the next few months. comes amid a surge in entire year of 2019. This After Netflix raised its U.S. bers," Netflix said in a state-
Netflix ended September worldwide growth as ef- year's subscriber increases prices early last year, the ment. "We're updating our
with 73 million subscribers in forts to contain the novel included an additional streaming service suffered prices so that we can con-
U.S. and Canada, with the coronavirus closed down 5.4 million customers in a decline of 130,000 sub- tinue to offer more variety
overwhelming majority lo- restaurants, theaters and the U.S. and Canada. But scribers in the U.S. and Can- of TV shows and films."q

EU digital boss: New rules to curb big tech aim for fairness

bloc's 27 member states. influence those decisions, from using data gathered
The first, the Digital Services instead of simply having from their business users to
Act, aims to update EU e- them made for us," Vestag- compete against them in
commerce rules by making er said. "And they have to other markets, which Ve-
tech companies take more tell us who's paying for the stager said can "seriously
responsibility for dangerous ads that we see, and why damage the fairness in
products, such as requiring we've been targeted by a these markets." She spoke
them to check sellers' ID in certain ad." in an online speech to the
order to weed out "dodgy U.S. lawmakers raised simi- European Policy Centre, a
traders." lar concerns in a Senate Brussels-based think tank.
But it will also place a great- hearing Wednesday, dur- Big tech companies will also
er onus on the companies ing which they accused the have to make it easier for
to deal with illegal content CEOs of Twitter, Facebook users to switch platforms, or
such as hate speech, in- and Google of suppressing to use more than one online
In this Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020 file photo, European cluding reporting on what conservative views or criti- service, she said. EU regula-
Commissioner for Europe fit for the Digital Age Margrethe they've done to take down cized them for slowness in tors have been concerned
Vestager speaks during an online news conference at the
European Commission headquarters in Brussels. that material. policing hate speech, mis- that some companies can
Associated Press Vestager signaled that information and other con- monopolize a market by
tech companies would tent inciting violence. cornering all its users and
By KELVIN CHAN chief said on Thursday. have to reveal more about A second proposal, the data -- the lifeblood of the
AP Business Writer Executive Vice President how they decide what us- Digital Markets Act, covers digital economy.
LONDON (AP) — The Euro- Margrethe Vestager out- ers see, saying that they new rules for the biggest Proper enforcement is also
pean Union is set to pro- lined two draft laws that the now have the power to online "gatekeepers," a important, and the draft
pose new laws to rein in the EU's executive Commission guide political debates reference to Silicon Valley proposals call for better co-
power of big tech compa- plans to introduce in early and protect or undermine giants like Google, Face- operation among national
nies, including measures to December. They amount democracy. "They will have book, Amazon and Apple. authorities in the EU.
ensure customers are pro- to a sweeping overhaul of to tell us how they decide Tech companies will be "And it will give the EU pow-
tected, smaller rivals are digital regulations, though what information and what banned from giving their er to step in, when we need
treated fairly, and illegal the final version will de- products to recommend to own products more promi- to, to enforce the rules
content is dealt with, the pend on negotiations with us, and which ones to hide nence in search results. against very large plat-
bloc's digital and antitrust the EU Parliament and the – to give us the ability to And they'll be prohibited forms," Vestager said.q