Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

OTO KLEMPÍŘ VS. MARTIN BAXA: THE DIGIMEDIA 2026 CONFERENCE WILL FEATURE A ‘MINISTERIAL’ DEBATE ON PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA

The 21st edition of the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference, taking place on Wednesday 3 June 2026 in the Congress Hall of Czech Television in Prague’s Kavčí Hory district, will feature a debate between the current and former Ministers of Culture: Oto Klempíř of Motoristé sobě and Martin Baxa of the ODS. Both politicians will take part in the opening discussion session focusing on the funding of public service media, specifically Czech Television and Czech Radio. It is precisely these media organisations that are affected by the draft Public Service Media Act, which was submitted by the Ministry of Culture in April and for which the inter-ministerial consultation process concluded last week.

Continuation of the heated debate from TV Nova

Oto Klempíř and Martin Baxa had already clashed during Saturday’s discussion on TV Nova’s ‘Za pět minut dvanáct’, with the new bill being the main topic on which both politicians did not mince their words. The debate at the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference will offer more scope for discussion and confrontation with other guests: Marit af Björkesten, Director-General of the Finnish public service broadcaster YLE, Milan Fridrich, Deputy Director-General of Czech Television; Martina Májíček Poliaková, Director of Strategic Development at Czech Radio; Marek Singer, President of the Association of Commercial Television Stations; Jiří Hrabák, Chairman of the Association of Private Broadcasters; and David Smoljak (STAN), Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Media.

Did the previous government destabilise the situation surrounding public service media by pushing through an increase in the TV and radio licence fee and extending this obligation to households with a computer, tablet or smartphone? Or is it, on the contrary, the current cabinet and its plan to abolish the licence fees and transfer the funding of Czech Television and Czech Radio to the state budget that is destabilising the Czech media market? These are just some of the questions to which the guests of the opening debate at the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference will seek answers, led by moderator Daniel Stach. The views of the current and former Ministers of Culture on the method of funding public service media differ diametrically.

Oto Klempíř believes the law will take effect from the New Year

Minister Oto Klempíř and his department aim to replace the existing legislation concerning Czech Television and Czech Radio. However, his draft bill faces fierce criticism from the opposition, media experts and lawyers, and hundreds of comments were received during the inter-ministerial consultation process, including from government departments. The inter-ministerial consultation process on the bill ended on 14 May, with 30 entities, including 12 ministries, taking the opportunity to comment, and hundreds of comments were received from them. The Coalition Council is due to discuss the bill on 25 May, after which debates with the directors-general of Czech Television and Czech Radio are scheduled. Once the amendments have been incorporated, the bill is to be discussed by the government and subsequently forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies, where the opposition is preparing extensive filibustering.

Despite the tight schedule, Culture Minister Oto Klempíř still believes that the bill will be passed and will come into force on 1 January 2027. However, this deadline is considered unrealistic not only by representatives of the opposition but also by the Ministry of the Interior, which proposes postponing its entry into force until 1 July 2027. The discussion at the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference will be the first expert platform on which both the bill’s sponsor and its opponents will comment on the law.

The partners of the 21st edition of the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference are Czech Television, Czech Radio, the Czech Telecommunications Office, Czech Radiocommunications, the Association of Mobile Network Operators, the Association of Communication Agencies and others. Media partners include Averia, Marketing & Media magazine, and the websites MediaGuru.cz and Televizniweb.cz.

A detailed conference programme, list of speakers and registration are available at www.acra-mk.cz.

About the DIGIMEDIA conference

DIGIMEDIA is the largest professional gathering focused on audiovisual media and broadcasting in the Czech Republic. It brings together representatives from television and radio broadcasting, digital platforms, network operators and regulatory bodies. The conference has long been dedicated to topics such as media, content distribution, advertising, paid services and media legislation. The event is organised by the Association of Czech Advertising Agencies and Marketing Communication (AČRA MK). The event has been held since 2006.

Media contacts

Mgr. Pavel Brabec
President of AČRA MK
pavel.brabec@commonline.cz
420 602 330 370

Jan Potůček
Programme Director of the DIGIMEDIA conference
potucek@mediar.cz
420 606 222 928

Veronika Maxová
Head of Production
acra@acra-mk.cz

COMMENTS OF COMMERCIAL MEDIA ON THE DRAFT ACT ON PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA

Associations representing the entire media market, except for public service media, point out that fundamental changes to the operation of public service media cannot be viewed in isolation from their impact on the rest of the media market. They have therefore jointly prepared comments on the submitted draft Act on Public Service Media, drawing attention to major shortcomings in the proposed amendment. Key points include an unclear definition of public service, the absence of regulation of online advertising, and the loss of safeguards contained in memoranda.

Prague, 15 May 2026 – Associations representing commercial television and radio broadcasters, online and print publishers had already strongly emphasised, during previous discussions on changes to the financing of public service media, the interdependence of the public and private media markets. In view of this dual system, we consider it necessary that any changes be consulted with private media service providers as well. Associations representing the entire private media market have therefore prepared several fundamental comments on the submitted draft Act on Public Service Media.

First, the draft act does not define public service with sufficient precision. Nor does it provide any other instrument through which the state could further define public service and the conditions for its provision beyond the statutory framework, for example, for a specific period. The current legislation at least contains the institution of a memorandum on the manner of fulfilling public service. In addition to specifying the scope of public service, the memoranda guaranteed a number of negotiated safeguards and guidelines for the activities of public service media, such as clarification of their operation in the online environment or transparent access to archival productions for other media service providers. All of these specifications are missing from the submitted draft and must be incorporated into the amendment appropriately.

The draft also completely omits the already existing restrictions on public service media in online advertising. This fundamental shortcoming is contrary to the principle of technological neutrality, since the existing restrictions in terrestrial and radio broadcasting remain in place; it goes against the purpose of providing a public service, as it forces ČT (Czech Television) and ČRo (Czech Radio) to compete in the advertising market; and, finally, it raises the issue of distortion of competition, where commercial media compete directly with entities that have state-guaranteed revenues.

The proposer has also removed the existing statutory procedures for approving the introduction of new significant services. The current act assumes that, before launching new projects that could have a potentially significant negative impact on the dual media system, public service media must consult their intentions with the public and supervisory bodies, so that the projects’ impacts and relevance to the fulfilment of the public service function can be assessed.

Following the discussion on the transparency of financial spending, we also propose introducing a benchmark cost control mechanism for public service media through an expert commission. Such a commission could assess, in a qualified and independent manner, whether the costs incurred are efficient, particularly compared to similar costs incurred by comparable media service providers. This instrument is an established practice in many other European countries and is in line with the Communication from the Commission 2009/C 257/01.

The draft rather illogically offers public service media the possibility of publishing their own printed periodicals, which does not correspond in any way to the media type of either Czech Television or Czech Radio. We also propose that the application of the directive on audiovisual media services on demand be clarified, and that obligations to ensure the accessibility of content for persons with visual or hearing impairments be reinstated, as these are omitted in the draft compared to the current act for reasons that remain unclear.

Contacts

Association of Commercial Television (Asociace komerčních televizí, AKTV), contact: Marie Fianová, marie.fianova@aktv.cz

Association of Online Publishers (Asociace online vydavatelů, AOV), contact: Ondřej Neumann, ondrej.neumann@hlidacipes.org

Association of Private Broadcasters (Asociace provozovatelů soukromého vysílání, APSV), contact: Jan Neuman, neuman@mms.cz

Czech Publishers’ Association (Česká unie vydavatelů, ČUV), contact: Kateřina Kroupová, kroupova@cuv.cz

Association for Internet Development in the Czech Republic (Sdružení pro internetový rozvoj v ČR, SPIR), contact: Filip Dotlačil, filip.dotlacil@spir.cz

–

Appendix

Comments of the media market submitted within the consultation process available here.

ACE CONTINUES GLOBAL EXPANSION, WELCOMES CME AS NEWEST MEMBER

European Media Company’s Commitment to ACE Emphasizes Shared Commitment to Protecting IP and Supporting Creative Economy

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world’s leading anti-piracy coalition, today announced that Central European Media Enterprises (CME) has joined the coalition, strengthening ACE’s global network. CME, a leading media and entertainment company operating across Central and Eastern Europe, brings to ACE a strong track record of investment in local content, trusted news programming, and responsible broadcasting. CME’s membership in ACE underscores a shared commitment to safeguarding intellectual property, supporting creative industries, and ensuring that audiences have access to legitimate, high-quality content.

“ACE welcomes CME into a global network dedicated to protecting creative content and strengthening the fight against piracy,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer with the Motion Picture Association. “Piracy has long been a cross border challenge, but today’s threat is more sophisticated, more coordinated, and more complex. With every new member, ACE grows stronger, broadens its collective expertise, and reinforces its ability to protect content from criminal piracy networks and support lawful distribution of creative content.”

As policymakers and regulators across Europe continue to prioritize digital market integrity, CME’s participation in ACE reinforces the importance of public-private collaboration in addressing piracy. By joining ACE, CME aligns with a global coalition that partners with law enforcement, regulatory authorities, and industry stakeholders to disrupt illegal distribution networks and promote lawful consumption of content. “Joining ACE reflects CME’s commitment to protecting creativity and ensuring a fair, predictable and sustainable media environment,” said Klára Brachtlová, Deputy CEO & Chief External Affairs, CME. “By working with ACE and its members, we aim to strengthen collective efforts to safeguard Europe’s creative industries and uphold the integrity of the audiovisual market.” ACE’s global network includes more than 50 members, ranging from major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms to regional broadcasters and content creators. Together, ACE members leverage collective expertise, technological innovation, and coordinated enforcement actions to combat piracy at scale.

CME’s membership is particularly significant given the evolving regulatory landscape in Central and Eastern Europe, where governments are increasingly focused on strengthening intellectual property protections, supporting domestic creative sectors, and ensuring fair competition in digital markets. Through ACE, CME will contribute to – and benefit from – international best practices, intelligence sharing, and coordinated anti-piracy initiatives.

About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE)

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist
operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations—and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association’s content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board
members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.

About CME

CME operates television stations in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Romania & Moldova, Slovakia and Slovenia, and is one of the leading media and entertainment companies in Central and Eastern Europe. CME broadcasts 47 television channels, both free-to-air and paid, and reaches a total of 49 million viewers. CME also owns and operates the Voyo SVOD platform and new over-the-top service Oneplay.

ACE Media Contact:

Pamela Corante
pamela_corante@motionpictures.org

CME Media Contact:

Martin Civrny
Martin.civrny@cme.net

DFL AND DAZN TAKE DOWN MAJOR PIRACY HUB LIVETV.SX

German football association DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and sports streaming service DAZN have obtained a court injunction ordering the blocking of illegal streaming site livetv.sx in Germany.

The ruling targets what the parties call the largest illegal sports streaming platform in the German market, active for more than 13 years and responsible for a significant share of illicit viewing across the DACH region. The order requires internet service providers to block the site, with further legal steps against related mirror domains currently being assessed.

The case was coordinated through CUII, Germany’s clearing body for internet piracy, with both the DFL and DAZN contributing data and analysis to support the proceedings. The decision is positioned as a breakthrough in efforts to curb organised piracy networks that have historically relied on non-compliant hosting providers, content delivery networks and domain registrars to evade enforcement.

According to the organisations, the outcome underscores the importance of collaboration between platforms, leagues, and enforcement bodies to disrupt illegal streaming operations and sends a clear signal that piracy will not be tolerated.

“This court decision is a turning point in the fight against content theft in Germany. Livetv.sx has operated at scale for more than a decade, undermining rights holders and the wider sports ecosystem. By working through CUII and collaborating with partners such as the DFL, DAZN is demonstrating that coordinated enforcement can deliver meaningful results. This ruling protects the value of sport and creates a fairer, more sustainable market,”

said Ed McCarthy, COO of DAZN Group.

Steffen Merkel, CEO of DFL, added:

“This decision is of great significance for the protection of rights, an area in which the Bundesliga has invested heavily for many years. We can now take more effective action than ever before against illegal streaming networks, in collaboration with international organisations such as CUII, law enforcement authorities and our partners. We thank all parties involved for their close cooperation and determined action in this case.”

DFL and DAZN stress that they will continue to invest in legal, technical, and industry led measures to combat piracy across the markets in which it operates, as part of its commitment to safeguard premium sports content worldwide for all legitimate parties in the sports ecosystem.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

CZECH TELEVISION RETAINED THEIR LEAD IN APRIL, WHILE NOVA LEADS IN PRIME TIME AND AMONG YOUNGER VIEWERS

The rankings in the television market remain unchanged. In April, Czech Television once again topped the ratings among viewers aged 15 and over, whilst Nova retained first place among younger viewer groups and during prime time.

In the over-15s demographic, Czech Television’s channels remained the most-watched television group in all-day viewing in the fourth month of this year, with a total share of 29.10%. This represents a year-on-year increase of almost 1.8 percentage points. The Nova group retains the lead in the 15–54 and 18–69 viewer groups, as well as during prime time across all key groups (15, 15–54, 18–69). This is shown by official ATO data for April 2026. Compared to April last year, it was mainly the Czech Television channels that improved, whilst the commercial groups lagged slightly behind their April results from last year.

ČT2 and news channels make a leap

The growth of news channels continued in April. ČT24 recorded a year-on-year increase in its share of 0.71 percentage points, with its share exceeding the 5% mark (5.08%, CS 15). The channel of the month was ČT2, which increased its share to 4.59% (0.74 pp). The documentaries Modrá krev and Žlutou žábou až do Mongolska were the main drivers of this success. The main channel, ČT1, also performed well, with its share rising by 0.5 percentage points year-on-year to 16.06% (15). The news channel CNN Prima News also continues to grow, with its share rising by 0.5 percentage points compared to April last year, to 2.8% (15). The April figures also confirm an increasing share for Prima Krimi (0.2 pp to 4.8%).

Programme of the month: Buldok z Poděbrad

The most-watched programmes in April were the series Buldok z Poděbrad (Nova) with 1.25 million viewers 15 , Odznak Vysočina (Nova) with 1.16 million viewers and Televizní noviny with 1.14 million viewers (15 ).

Source: mediaguru.cz

SPANISH POLICE DISMANTLE KODISPAIN PIRACY NETWORK

Spain’s Guardia Civil has dismantled Kodispain, one of the main platforms accused of providing unauthorised access to live LaLiga football matches.

The operation followed a complaint from LaLiga and Telefónica, as the Spanish authorities continue to take enforcement action against illegal sports streaming. According to the Guardia Civil, the network distributed instructions, manuals and links to live Spanish First and Second Division matches through a messaging channel with more than 26,000 active followers. One man is under investigation over alleged offences against intellectual property and consumers.

Investigators analysed more than 91,000 files and around 25,000 lines of code to reconstruct the system and identify its operational structure.

Authorities also warned that installing unknown software linked to piracy services could expose users to malware, data theft and unauthorised access to their devices.

The Guardia Civil said the takedown was made possible through cooperation between the rightsholders and specialist public bodies.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

THE ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCIAL TELEVISIONS HAS ENTERED ITS TENTH YEAR OF EXISTENCE; MAREK SINGER REMAINS AS PRESIDENT

This spring marked the ninth anniversary of the Association of Commercial Television, which, during its existence, has become a respected voice for commercial broadcasters and a reliable partner in both professional and legislative debates. The AKTV continues to participate in key legislative processes that affect the operations of commercial television, is actively involved in the fight against internet piracy, and promotes awareness of television as a trustworthy and effective advertising medium. Marek Singer remains at the helm of the Association of Commercial Television, which brings together the Nova, Prima and Óčko television groups, for another year.

The main focus of AKTV’s activities this year will be copyright protection, with a particular emphasis on public education. The cornerstone of AKTV’s preventive and awareness-raising activities is the launch of the information website NormalneLegalne.cz, which offers a catalogue of legal content sources as well as education on copyright issues. The aim of the project is to explain clearly why respect for copyright is important and how viewers can easily and safely access legal content. This year, we anticipate the involvement of further partners from among rights holders, the preparation of comprehensive educational materials and, last but not least, an information campaign.

“Over the past few years, we have been very active in combating the piracy of our protected content, which remains one of our priorities this year as well. However, we would like to complement our successful legal actions with preventive measures. Piracy services are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and it can be difficult for ordinary viewers to distinguish them from legitimate services. That is why we want to focus more on education this year,”

says Marek Singer, President of AKTV.

In addition to copyright protection, the Association of Commercial Television Stations systematically promotes television as an effective and safe advertising medium that has long enjoyed high levels of attention and trust from viewers. Through the ScreenVoice.cz website, it regularly publishes interesting news, research findings and information on trends in television advertising and the world of total video, covering both the Czech market and international developments.

About ScreenVoice ( www.ScreenVoice.cz)

On the ScreenVoice.cz website, readers will find inspiration, trends, research and news about developments in the world of television in the Czech Republic and abroad. Each month is dedicated to a single theme, for which original content is prepared. Readers can look forward to magazine-style articles on the very first television advert, Christmas or Valentine’s Day advertising specials, or reflections on advertising during the Covid pandemic or the war in Ukraine. The theme of the month is complemented by a calendar of industry events, a glossary of terms from the world of total video, and the popular ‘Myths and Facts about TV’ section, which provides a range of data refuting the most common myths about television. A separate category is the AKTV events archive, where visitors can find all recordings of speakers’ presentations from the last six years.

About Normálně legálně ( www.NormalneLegalne.cz)

The Normálnělegálně.cz website is an information portal that helps users navigate the range of legal online services for watching films and TV series, listening to music or reading books in the Czech Republic, whilst also raising awareness of copyright protection. In addition to an overview of legal content, it also offers news, answers to frequently asked questions, a glossary of terms and further explanatory information on copyright and the impacts of internet piracy.

CNN DESCRIBES ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH PRIMA AS ONE OF ITS MOST SUCCESSFUL

Wallid Chamak, a representative of CNN International Commercial, described CNN Prima News as one of the most successful projects in the field of international cooperation.

According to the management of the FTV Prima group, the CNN Prima News project now goes beyond the scope of a traditional television station and operates as a multi-platform service reaching audiences across television, online platforms and social media. A key factor in its development is the changing behaviour of the audience. This was stated by Lukáš Kubát, CEO of FTV Prima, at the start of the second annual Money, money, money conference, which CNN Prima News is hosting at its headquarters on Monday.

“Today, the viewer decides how the media transforms. They are not merely passive recipients, but actively choose when and where to watch content. That is why we treat content as a product and create various formats, ranging from television broadcasts to podcasts and short videos on social media,” said Kubát.

According to him, the media market is governed by the principle of “money follows attention”, meaning that investment follows audience attention. This forces the media to expand distribution into digital channels and build broader content ecosystems that combine linear broadcasting with online platforms.

The strategic partnership with CNN also plays an important role in the project’s development. Wallid Chamak, a representative of CNN International Commercial, described CNN Prima News as one of the most successful projects within the framework of international cooperation.

“In just six years, they have managed to build a strong brand in a competitive environment. Credibility is key – without it, no news outlet can function today,” said Chamak. He also highlighted the emphasis on creative formats and the ability to reach audiences across platforms.

CNN Prima News’s share of the television market is targeting the 3% mark in the over-15s demographic, it was further reported. CNN Prima News demonstrated its reach across the population by reaching 6.7 million people across television, the internet and social media during its pre-election coverage.

Source: mediaguru.cz

SPANISH COURT STRIKES RECORD BLOW TO MAJOR ILLEGAL IPTV NETWORK

One of Europe’s largest illegal IPTV operations has been dealt a major blow after Spain’s National Court convicted the operators of an international piracy network that distributed films, TV channels and live football.

The ruling includes prison terms, multi-million euro fines and compensation, and has been described by rightsholders as one of the biggest anti-piracy judgments yet seen in Spain.

According to LaLiga and other parties involved in the case, the network served more than a million paying users globally, operated through close to 1,000 websites and generated more than €15 million in illegal revenue. Spanish business daily Cinco Días reported that the operation worked through brands including RapidIPTV and relied on infrastructure spread across 13 countries.

The alleged ringleader accepted a 23-month prison sentence, an €8.7 million fine and confiscation of seized assets, while the court also ordered around €12 million in compensation for affected rightsholders. The total financial impact of the ruling has been put at more than €43 million once fines and damages are combined.

The case dates back to a 2020 investigation and takedown, but the latest court decision closes what ACE, LaLiga and other complainants say has been a landmark prosecution. The coalition behind the action included ACE, LaLiga, Telefónica, Mediapro, Sky, EGEDA and Nagravision, with the investigation led by Spain’s National Police and supported by Europol and Eurojust.

“Collaboration between the Spanish National Police and the private sector is central to ACE’s strategy to detect, deter, and dismantle digital piracy networks,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer at the Motion Picture Association (MPA). “This case shows that when we work together, major illegal operations can be disrupted and those responsible are held accountable.”

José Luis Gómez Pidal, Chief Inspector of the Spanish National Police (UDEV), added,

“this is a landmark ruling against one of the largest international criminal organizations dedicated to audiovisual piracy. The investigation has been groundbreaking in exposing the inner workings of these structures and introducing new technological methods to the Spanish judicial system. At the same time, the case has revealed how digital piracy is intertwined with complex money laundering networks in various countries, using multiple channels to support and divert the enormous profits generated.”

The judgment is significant not only because of the scale of the network, but because it underlines the growing willingness of Spanish courts to impose severe financial penalties in large-scale piracy cases. It also comes just days after Spain moved to intensify real-time blocking of illegal sports streams, highlighting how anti-piracy enforcement in the market is becoming both more aggressive and more coordinated.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

THE NUMBER OF CYBERCRIME CASES HAS RISEN BY A RECORD 37 PER CENT YEAR-ON-YEAR

The number of cybercrime cases rose by 37 per cent year-on-year in March. Investigators recorded a record 2,533 cases in March, Ondřej Moravčík, a spokesperson for the Czech Police Headquarters, told ČTK today. For internet users, the greatest risk comes from fraudulent bankers or police officers. Since the start of the year, they have caused losses amounting to 322 million crowns. Women are the most frequent victims. The average age of victims is 46. Perpetrators most often carry out attacks via mobile phones, the police stated on the X network.

“We have a sad record here. This March is the worst month in history in terms of cybercrime,” the police headquarters reported. “At this rate, we will reach last year’s figures by mid-October,” police officers added on the X network.

Since the start of the year, criminal investigators have recorded 6,322 cases of cybercrime. In the first three months of 2025, fraudsters committed 4,766 criminal offences online. Last year, there were 21,137 cases of cybercrime online.

According to a spokesperson, the majority of cases involve various types of fraud, with around 3,500 committed since the start of the year. Of these, fake bankers and police officers committed 728 frauds. The highest loss in a single case amounted to 24 million crowns. The average loss per victim is 721,546 CZK.

According to criminal investigators, the most risky tool is the mobile phone. “Please do not disclose your card details to anyone, do not send any money to police officers or bankers over the phone, and hang up immediately on any suspicious calls,” they warned today on the X network.

According to the police, cybercrime is criminal activity committed in the field of information and communication technologies, including computer networks. It includes, among other things, hacking, which is unauthorised access to a computer system; various types of fraud targeting individuals, companies and their employees; fraudulent online shops; copyright infringement; sexual offences, including procuring and human trafficking; and blackmail and stalking.

Source: ceskenoviny.cz

IT WILL SOON BE MANDATORY IN THE EU TO LABEL CONTENT GENERATED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

New rules on the transparency of so-called artificial intelligence will come into force in the European Union on 2 August this year. It will be necessary to label content generated by large language models (LLMs), provide information about deepfakes, and alert users that they are communicating with AI. The aim is to reduce the risk of misuse of this technology, manipulation, misleading content, fraud and so on.

The new measures form part of the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). Its individual provisions are coming into force gradually; thanks in part to the Czech Republic’s efforts, some sectionshave beenmitigated or postponed.

Jana Vorlíček Soukupová from the law firm Dentons summarised the situation as follows:

The new rules primarily concern generative artificial intelligence, i.e. systems that create text, images, audio or video content. They are intended to ensure that it is clearly distinguishable when content has been created by a human and when by an algorithm. AI is capable of creating content that is almost indistinguishable from reality. The regulation therefore introduces a simple principle – people have the right to know when content has been created by artificial intelligence or when they are communicating with AI rather than a human.

Under the new rules, providers of AI systems (such as OpenAI) must ensure that all outputs – text, images, audio or video – containa machine-readable label indicating that they were created or modified by artificial intelligence. Typically, this will involve metadata, digital watermarks, cryptographic tags or other technical identifiers embedded directly into the file. Technical labelling is key. It will enable social media platforms, search engines, content verification tools, the media and other digital platforms to automatically recognise that content has been created by artificial intelligence.

In addition to technical labelling, a requirement for visible labelling of outputs for end-users will also be introduced from August 2026. Certain entities deploying AI systems will be required to label these outputs properly, clearly and recognisably. This applies in particular to so-called deepfakes – imitations of real people or events created by artificial intelligence – as well as to content intended to inform the public. The rules on how to label content are currently being finalised, but it is expected that this will involve visual icons, text labels, verbal warnings, or messages in captions.

Another change will affect interactive systems such as chatbots and virtual assistants. If a person is communicating with an AI system, they must be clearly informed of this from the very first interaction. Transparency is a fundamental prerequisite for trust in the digital environment. A user should never find themselves in a situation where they believe they are communicating with a human, but are in fact being responded to by an algorithm.

The obligation of transparency is imposed on developers, suppliers and operators of AI systems by Article 50 of the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), adopted in 2024. Rules for the detection and identification of AI-generated content, including deepfakes and communication with chatbots, will come into force at the beginning of August 2026. The European Commission is therefore preparing a Code of Practice on the transparency of AI-generated content, which is intended to help fulfil these obligations in practice and is due to be finalised in June 2026.

The second draft of the code, published in mid-March, defines, among other things, technical standards for labelling AI content, such as metadata or digital watermarks. The Code consists of two parts. The first contains rules for providers of AI systems regarding the detection and labelling of AI-generated content. The second part then sets out guidelines for labelling deepfakes, addressed to entities implementing AI systems.

One of the fundamental principles of the code is multi-layered labelling of AI-generated content for AI system providers, i.e. the use of multiple techniques in combination. In addition, providers should make tools available to users for detecting AI-generated or manipulated content. For the labelling of deepfake content, the code proposes the introduction of an “AI” icon.

Source: lupa.cz

RIVAL BROADCASTERS PRIMA AND NOVA HAVE JOINED FORCES TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST ONLINE HATES

Rival broadcaster Prima has joined TV Nova’s campaign to combat hate speech on social media.

Rival broadcasters Prima and Nova have jointly spoken out against the hate directed at their presenters and actors in recent years. Alongside the criticism that is a natural part of their work, these TV personalities are subjected to words full of hatred, vulgarity, humiliation and threats. Prima has therefore joined TV Nova’s ‘Hate is not an opinion’ initiative. Kateřina Kotalová informed ČTK of this on behalf of Prima.

“Competition is put aside for the moment. This is something that doesn’t concern just one television station. We stand by our people and refuse to stand by and watch as they are subjected to hatred that crosses every line. Hate is not an opinion and must not become the norm,” said Blanka Bumbálková on behalf of Prima.

It is precisely this reality that the ‘Hate is not an opinion’ campaign, launched by Nova, draws attention to. The advert features well-known personalities reading aloud authentic messages they commonly encounter on their social media. The video was viewed by more than three million people within the first 48 hours.

“We appreciate that FTV Prima has decided to join our initiative. As the most significant media houses in the Czech Republic, we feel a shared responsibility for fostering civil public debate. It is a clear signal that, when it comes to fundamental ethical principles, respect and decency, we can stand on the same side and, for a moment, forget that we are competitors,” said Michal Prokeš, Head of PR Communications at TV Nova.

“We often speak to the same audiences, we influence the same communities, and we believe that it is precisely this united voice that has the power to at least steer the shared space on social media – and beyond – in a sensible direction,” he added.

Both television groups are actively supporting the initiative across their platforms – sharing it on social media, giving it space on their news websites, and dedicating airtime to it in television news and reports. The initiative’s official website is www.hejtneninazor.cz.

Last year, Nova was the most-watched television channel among viewers aged 15 and over, with an average audience share of 18 per cent; ČT1 came second with 16 per cent, and Prima’s main channel had a share of 10.8 per cent.

Source: mediaguru.cz