The majority of consumers in Germany wants to be able to sign up for digital content across national boundaries.
In a survey conducted by research institute TNS Emnid for the federation of German consumer protection organisations, Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (vzbv), three quarters (73%) of respondents said that they want to be able to access movies, TV series and sports coverage from foreign EU countries in Germany.
Almost the same amount of people (72%) said that they want to be able to use their media subscriptions taken out in Germany while staying in other EU countries, for example on holiday or a business trip (see chart).
“The boundaries for digital content on the internet must be removed,” demands Klaus Müller, chairman of vzbv.
The association welcomes the EU Commission’s proposal for cross-border portability as part of its strategy for a digital single market. The aim of the new regulation is to make it easier for consumers to use online content such as streaming subscriptions from providers like Netflix or maxdome for example when travelling between EU countries.