Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has suggested the creation of a digital sister corporation to the BBC, and tech giants could foot the bill.

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday, Corbyn revealed the hypothetical British Digital Corporation (BDC) would be created if the Labour Party win the next General Election. He claimed the “ambitious idea” could grow to become a rival to Netflix and Amazon who maintain a strong hold on the video streaming industry.

The BDC, Corbyn suggested, would also “harness data for the public good.”

Taking on Big Tech

The BBC’s proposed sister corporation would be paid for through a similar process to the existing license fee that the BBC charges, however, noted that it would be collected from various tech giants and internet providers.

Corbyn’s proposals would see audiences granted the power to commission programmes, as well as offering “online decision making” for citizens across the country. Social media, additionally, would fall under the proposed blanket, with the Labour leader suggesting a new social media network to compete with Facebook that would offer “real privacy” and public control.

Corbyn said: “A BDC could develop new technology for online decision making and audience-led commissioning of programmes and even a public social media platform with real privacy and public control over the data that is making Facebook and others so rich.”

A free press is essential to our democracy, but much of our press isn’t very free at all. I want media workers to be free to do their best work, not held back by billionaire owners, tech giants or the state. #ChangeTheMedia — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) August 23, 2018

Further plans to increase public engagement, control and ownership were also suggested. The BDC, he said, could potentially work with organisations and institutions that the Labour government would establish; which include a National Investment Bank and Strategic Investment Board.

He said: “Imagine an expanded iPlayer giving universal access to licence fee payers for a product that could rival Netflix and Amazon,” he said.

“It would probably sell pretty well overseas as well.”

Greater Transparency or Greater Control?

Jeremy Corbyn’s comments come during a turbulent period for the British media industry and social media companies such as Facebook or Twitter.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal, as well as ongoing issues with user manipulation across social media, has raised questions over both the transparency and responsibility of big tech, as well as the impact of social media upon democratic process.

He suggested a wave of new proposals to increase transparency in the media, which included Freedom of Information reforms that removed ministerial vetoes as well as the expansion into private industry – specifically when private companies are providing public services.

Other suggestions included charity tax status for local, investigative and interest public journalism and the expansion of existing BBC schemes to improve grassroots journalism.

His comments weren’t without criticism, however, with Conservative Party chairman, Brandon Lewis, stating: “Dressed up as press freedom, this was nothing more than a wholesale plan for more state control over our media.

“From forcing BBC journalists to state their social class, to a nationalised Facebook, these measures are an attempt to hamstring our free press and legitimate scrutiny of Jeremy Corbyn.”

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