California Law Against Loud Commercials Takes Effect

New regulations for streaming service platforms have come into force in the state of California. From now on, it is strictly forbidden for the volume of advertisements shown by these services to be louder than the main video content. This law took effect on July 1 and is aimed not only at ensuring user convenience but also at regulating audio standards in the digital environment. This is reported by Techcrunch.com news reports.

It is worth noting that similar restrictions already existed in the US for commercials broadcast via terrestrial and cable television. However, streaming platforms have long been exempt from these rules. According to Ars Technica, major platforms have not yet provided detailed information on the technical methods they will use to implement the new legal requirements.

Protecting Consumer Interests

According to the author of the bill, State Senator Thomas Umberg, this initiative was developed based on complaints from many parents and viewers. The Senator noted that unexpectedly loud commercials are not only irritating but also cause sleeping children to wake up and disrupt their sleep patterns. This is viewed as a violation of consumer rights in the modern digital age.

Although this law currently applies only within the state of California, its impact is expected to be much broader. Experts believe that streaming giants would prefer to standardize volume on a national or global scale rather than create a separate technical system for just one state. Additionally, a similar law is expected to take effect in the state of Illinois next year.

Industry Objections

Not everyone is pleased with the new regulation. In particular, industry groups such as the Motion Picture Association of America and the Streaming Innovation Alliance opposed the bill. They argue that streaming services are already working on this issue and that government intervention was unnecessary. They also point out that content sounds differently across various devices — smartphones, tablets, and televisions.

This news is also relevant for users in Uzbekistan. In the local market, sharp increases in advertisement volume are frequently observed when using YouTube or other streaming services. Such legal changes in the US may over time influence the general algorithms and standards of global platforms, resulting in commercials worldwide becoming less intrusive.

Currently, Netflix, Disney+, and other major services have begun the process of adapting to the new rules. If this experiment is successful, it will undoubtedly mark the beginning of a new era in digital advertising and significantly improve the user experience (UX).