UK Gov wants public service news higher in feeds. Here’s what that means for influencer campaigns.

Key takeaways

• On 23 June 2026, DCMS published a Green Paper proposing that public service broadcasters should be prioritised in social media feeds. A 10-week consultation closed on 31 August 2026, and the government is now assessing feedback.
• The government would prefer a voluntary agreement with platforms and would only legislate if that fails.
• YouTube has pushed back with a “Keep YouTube Yours” campaign urging creators to respond to the consultation.
• For brands, viewing behaviour, organic benchmarks and year-on-year reporting may become less reliable for affected topics.

What the “Watch this space” Green Paper proposes

On 23 June 2026, DCMS published a Green Paper titled “Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media”. It opened a 10-week consultation, which closed on 31 August 2026. The paper is now being discussed after receiving feedback.

The paper covers four areas:

• prominence of trustworthy content on social media
• the switch-off of digital terrestrial TV
• media literacy
• a new system for public service media

This article focuses on the prioritisation of trustworthy news on social media, since it has the most direct bearing on influencer campaigns.

The proposal would require social media platforms to make news content from public service media (PSM) providers easier to find. The named providers are the BBC, ITV, STV, Channel 4, S4C and Channel 5, plus unspecified “other trustworthy providers”. The government aims to help audiences access trusted news rather than misinformation or disinformation. It could protect people with low media literacy from accessing incorrect data.

Currently, no laws have been drafted. But the government says it would prefer to launch a voluntary agreement with platforms and would only turn to legislation if that doesn’t go far enough.

Here’s why both sides have a case

On-demand video and social media content are becoming the first choice for watching video. Government figures show that between 2024 and 2025, video-sharing platforms and streaming services accounted for 74% of all video time for 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK, and 69% for 25- to 34-year-olds.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said, “It is vital that we make sure that people have better access to trusted and accurate news and that our regulated public service media is seen and heard in the fierce battle against mis and disinformation.”

ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall also backed the paper, saying “UK viewers still love original British content from the PSBs and trust and value PSB news which helps to underpin our democracy.”

However, platforms and creators disagree. YouTube argues that its appeal comes from equal opportunity and the ability for users to decide what they see. David Wheeldon, senior director of government affairs and public policy for YouTube Europe, argued the proposal would undermine the platform’s appeal, saying, “the UK’s creator economy is a global success story because of one simple idea: on YouTube, viewers decide what they want to watch. Prominence rules seek to distort that, forcing YouTube to prioritise government-picked channels over whatever viewers actually came to watch.”

In July 2026, a campaign called “Keep YouTube Yours” gained traction. Many British creators responded, stating that they were disappointed that the government may control content, and that the promotion of PSMs may cause independent publishers and marginalised voices to struggle to break through online, completely shifting the environment.

While the Green Paper acknowledges that the boundary between broadcasters and creators has blurred, it fails to define what is “trustworthy” media, who would decide it, or how decisions could be appealed.

What the “Watch this space” consultation means for brand campaigns

For now, the government is still discussing whether to launch new legislation. But marketers will need to plan ahead, especially if their brand shares content that could be deemed as news or political.

Here’s what is changing:

• Organic reach is now harder to predict: if algorithms prioritise PSMs over engagement, past benchmarks and data will be weaker predictors of future reach. Marketers posting content on the affected topics should also expect a lower baseline than usual.
• It’s worth analysing your strategy: Brands working with creators in news, current affairs, commentary, politics, or education are most exposed to these updates. Beauty, gaming and lifestyle partnerships are much less likely to be affected. It’s worth auditing planned content to analyse which posts may be affected. This will give you a better idea of which parts of your strategy may fall short.
• Paid distribution rights become more valuable: If organic distribution is hindered, the commercial value of usage rights for paid ads will rise. New contracts should secure paid rights to offset losses in organic reach.
• Reporting may be uneven: The regulations could reduce reach, views and EMV, even if your campaign is high-quality. Be sure to separate platform-level changes from campaign issues.
• Public service broadcasters become competitors and potential partners: More PSM clips ranked higher means more competition for attention. It also means that channels such as ITV and Channel 4 become more desirable collaborators.
• Don’t overreact: At the moment, the government’s preference is for a voluntary agreement rather than legislation. A brand that rebuilds its UK strategy around a Green Paper proposal in September 2026 is reacting to something that may arrive in a very different shape, or not at all.

What happens next, and the dates to watch

Currently, there’s no social media prominence rule in play. But there may be in the future. Let’s take a look at the important dates to watch over the next few months and the current legislation.

However, there is precedent for this kind of legislation. The UK government launched the Media Act 2024 on 24 May 2024 to guarantee public service broadcasters’ prominence on connected TV. Smart TVs, streaming sticks and set-top boxes are now legally required to make apps like BBC iPlayer and ITVX easy to find, rather than buried behind manufacturer-recommended content.

In December 2025, Ofcom delivered its final recommendations on which connected TV platforms should be designated as Television Selection Services, for example, think the home screen menu on a Samsung or LG smart TV, or a Sky Q box. Fifteen platforms have now been designated, bringing them under new obligations to make apps like BBC iPlayer and ITVX easy to find, rather than buried behind manufacturer-recommended content.

These regulations demonstrate that prominence is not merely a hypothetical concept. It’s already becoming operational for connected TV. If passed, the new legislation may extend the same principle to social feeds. That’s why this is worth paying attention to now, so you can prepare your response in case your reach from influencer content reduces.

How Kolsquare reads it

Kolsquare’s position is that the creator economy and PSMs don’t have to oppose each other. Whatever regulations emerge should be transparent. That means clear, auditable indications about how the algorithm will rank content.

Kolsquare is B Corp certified, and Responsible Influence is one of its four value pillars. We depend on the creator economy to continue and believe it adds value to society and brands.

How data helps you adapt to the UK Government Green Paper

To handle platform shifts, you need reliable data to understand whether content is affected. That means knowing your baselines for reach and EMV before and after any algorithm changes.

Kolsquare’s platform allows you to track data, including reach, EMV and audiences reached, from multiple influencers at once. It makes reporting changes easy by providing graphs and comparisons for specific timeframes.

Book a demo today.