Google’s YouTube announced Friday that it has agreed to reduce its streaming quality to standard definition to help avoid internet congestion and lagging amid the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, including the U.K.
According to Billboard, the move comes as a response to a request from EU Internal Market and Services Commissioner Thierry Breton. It arrives a day after Netflix unveiled a similar initiative.
The reasoning behind the move is simple, as more people are forced to stay home, they’re forced to use more bandwidth with their High definition streams, which could potentially cause broadband congestion during peak hours of usage.
Breton, a high-ranking member of the European Union, called on streaming video giants to do their part to prevent the spread of coronavirus. But, this request came despite limited evidence showing that networks are being overloaded beyond people on social media, mentioning slow internet access.
“Millions of Europeans are adapting to social distancing measures thanks to digital platforms, helping them to telework, e-learn and entertain themselves,” said Breton, who once served as CEO of France Telecom from 2002 until 2005. “I warmly welcome the initiative that Google has taken to preserve the smooth functioning of the internet during the COVID19 crisis by having YouTube switch all EU traffic to standard definition by default.”
In the coming days, YouTube is also preparing to roll out a campaign initiative across Europe that encourages people to follow health authorities’ guidance and stay home to practice social distancing, according to reports.
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