Legal and compliant development, People's Daily article: Rectification of TV "nesting" fee content | Members | Compliance
How many steps are required to watch TV? Nowadays, the answer to this question is no longer as simple as "turning on, selecting channels, and watching". With the development and popularization of smart TVs, various applications and massive network resources integrated into TVs provide people with more personalized choices, but also give rise to the chaos of "nesting dolls" charging.
In real life, many people have encountered that when the TV is turned on, there is an advertisement. If you don't pay attention to clicking on it, it will lead to member registration, recharge and consumption. I finally found the content viewing interface, but without registering as a member, some content can only be tried for a few minutes. Some people have registered as members, but the membership is divided into levels. With more recharge and higher levels, the screen is high-definition, advertisements are free of pop ups, and some content that should have been publicly available can be viewed first; Members are divided into different platforms, and different content comes from different audiovisual apps. If you want to watch, you need to register as a member of different apps; Members may also have separate sections, and those who watch TV dramas may not necessarily be able to watch movies, while those who watch movies may not be able to watch cartoons. This also requires individual registration, and some content may even require individual payment; Some members have restrictions on terminal login, and the TV end cannot use the membership account registered on the mobile end. They can only register again and pay extra... This chain by chain forces people to consume and recharge in a series. Over time, some short-term members may also be inadvertently charged or automatically renewed.
Essentially, this kind of "nesting doll" charging is a short-sighted behavior that appears to achieve profitability, but in reality makes smart TVs less "intelligent", affecting the viewing experience of users and reducing their trust and satisfaction. From the long-term development of the smart TV industry, only by winning users can we have a future. The cost of "nesting dolls" is not worth the loss.
Moreover, the fees charged by "nesting dolls" harm the legitimate rights and interests of users. Multiple legal systems in our country provide protective provisions for consumers' right to fair trade and independent choice. For example, the Consumer Rights Protection Law stipulates that operators shall not use standard terms and use technological means to force transactions. The Price Law clearly states that operators shall not use false or misleading pricing methods to deceive consumers or other operators into conducting transactions with them. As for TV startup advertising, the Advertising Law also clearly stipulates that "using the Internet to publish and send advertisements shall not affect users' normal use of the Internet".
To ensure a good viewing experience for users, the fees for "nesting dolls" urgently need to be regulated. Not long ago, relevant national departments focused on issues such as "too many charging packages, too many charging entities, and opaque charging" in television, deployed special rectification measures, targeted social pain points, and responded to public concerns. Relevant departments should further improve industry standards, standardize the "pay TV" system, and strengthen regulatory review in accordance with the law regarding the legality and compliance of membership and fee collection.
No matter how intelligent the television is, no matter how the business model changes, the principle of safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of consumers is irrefutable. TV manufacturers and audiovisual apps should always prioritize user experience, adhere to legal operations, improve service quality, and explore the construction of a multi platform, multi zone, and multi terminal integrated membership system to make fees more transparent and reasonable. On the other hand, what should be provided for free should be provided for free, fully respecting and protecting the basic cultural rights and interests of the people. This is beneficial for achieving a win-win development of user rights and business profits.
