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Government plans to force Netflix, YouTube and Amazon viewers to pay BBC licence fee before Christmas

The government plans to expand the BBC licence fee to cover streaming platforms including Netflix, YouTube and Amazon, with a white paper expected before Christmas.
The government plans to expand the BBC licence fee to cover streaming platforms including Netflix, YouTube and Amazon, with a white paper expected before Christmas.

The government is set to bring streaming platforms — including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus and YouTube — within the scope of the BBC licence fee, with a white paper expected before Christmas. The shake-up, informally known as the "YouTube tax," aims to close a loophole that lets millions of people avoid the fee by consuming content online. Reports suggest the administration can now "press ahead" following hold-ups under the previous prime minister. Any additional revenue generated is expected to be ring-fenced for local journalism and combating what officials call misinformation.

YouTube has around 55 million UK users and is the primary target of the planned expansion.

Sources within the BBC have reportedly warned that time is running short to reach a deal, with the licence fee said internally to be a 'busted flush.'

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