Streamers Team Up to Lobby DC, But Skeptics Say They Want to Head off Regulation

A new streaming lobby group, which formed one day before the Writers Guild of America officially ended their 148-day strike, says it is looking to have a collective voice in Washington, D.C. and distinguish itself from big-tech companies. But critics believe it’s preparing for a fight against future government regulation.

While the new Streaming Innovation Alliance (SIA), which includes Netflix, Disney and Max, says the timing with the WGA was coincidental, the move also came two months after the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance a bill aimed at protecting children from dangerous or extremist online content, including on streaming services — a law individual streamers have lobbied.