Realities of cross-border law enforcement

Thanks to digitalisation and globalisation, national borders in the media landscape of the 21st century have largely lost their previously divisive character in the communication of content. Thanks to new technical possibilities, former language barriers are hardly a problem any more. This creates diverse and attractive opportunities both for users in their media consumption behaviour and for media providers in the expansion of their target groups and economic business models. However, territoriality and country of origin principles continue to play a role in terms of jurisdiction and law enforcement. Whether online platform, broadcaster or on-demand provider, a branch in Germany is not necessary to reach the German audience - even with illegal content. Dr Eva Flecken provides an insight into the options available to ensure compliance with the legal framework, the challenges regulators face and the importance of the interplay between EU and national law.