ITV and Disney Agree on New Content-Sharing Deal; Meta GDPR Violation Ruling in Germany

ITV has exciting news for Disney+ subscribers in the UK! Starting July 16th, you’ll have access to a selection of ITV content, while ITVX will showcase a curated collection of Disney+ shows and movies. This new partnership introduces “taster rails” to promote each other’s content. On ITVX, you can enjoy a rotating selection of Disney+ content called ‘A Taste of Disney+’, and on Disney+, you’ll find ‘A Taste of ITVX’ featuring popular ITV shows like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and selected series of Love Island.

According to Joe Earley, President of Direct-to-Consumer at Disney Entertainment, “We are proud of this innovative collaboration with ITV, which will allow us to bring Disney+ customers some of the UK’s favorite and buzzworthy shows and encourage ITVX viewers to discover some of Disney+’s award-winning series and blockbuster films.”

In other news, Meta has been ordered to pay €5,000 in damages to a Facebook user in Germany due to a violation of EU data privacy laws. The court ruled that Meta’s use of tracking technology on third-party websites without consent breaches the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This ruling raises concerns about the company’s tracking practices and could lead to legal action against websites and apps using similar technology.

On a more positive note, the European Union is moving forward with its Code of Practice for general-purpose AI models. This code aims to clarify obligations under the EU’s AI Act and will come into effect next month. It focuses on advanced AI systems like OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Gemini, outlining requirements for copyright compliance and risk monitoring.

Developers signing the code must implement safeguards to prevent models from generating copyright-infringing content and commit to post-release risk assessments. The code allows some flexibility in defining and identifying risks, but overall, it aims to ensure that the most advanced AI models are not only innovative but also safe and transparent. Tech companies will have to decide whether to sign the code, and it still needs formal approval by the European Commission and member states.