The Communications Commission will have the opportunity to obtain information about transfers of persons who may directly or indirectly finance media service and video sharing platform providers and in this regard violate the prohibitions established by the Law on Broadcasting. The Commission will request information containing bank secrecy through the court.­

The relevant amendments are being made to the Law on Broadcasting, which was submitted to the Parliament by the Georgian Dream deputies.

According to the draft, the National Communications Commission is given the opportunity to request information from a banking institution about the income of a media service and video sharing platform provider, as well as about the person directly or indirectly financing it.

In addition, in the event that a broadcaster receives prohibited funding, the Communications Commission will be authorized to order the broadcaster to transfer the received funding to the state budget, in addition to the responsibility provided for by the Law on Broadcasting.

“The regulation of broadcaster funding aims to protect the broadcaster and, accordingly, the public from the influence of various groups. To protect this legitimate and high public interest, it is necessary to create an additional effective mechanism that will allow the law enforcement body to request information from a banking institution about the revenues of the media service and video sharing platform service provider, as well as about the direct and indirect financier,” reads the explanatory note to the draft law.

Last year, the Parliament supported a law prohibiting broadcasting companies from receiving direct or indirect funding from foreign sources.