Disney has raised concerns about proposed UK legislation that would require the company to send reminder notices to its streaming service customers every six months. The current practice allows Disney+ users to remain subscribed until they choose to cancel, but the new laws aim to ensure customers are aware of their ongoing subscriptions. The UK government argues that the bill promotes fair treatment for consumers, while Disney contends that it already provides clear and timely fee notifications. According to Deadline, Disney believes that the draft Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Bill is an attempt to micromanage the interaction between subscription streamers and their customers. The company argues that it is easier to cancel a subscription than to initially subscribe, and email reminders could have unintended consequences, potentially causing customers to ignore the messages they receive. Disney has requested that the UK government restrict reminder notices to sectors known for trapping consumers, as this would not apply to subscription video-on-demand services.

Furthermore, Disney has expressed concerns about the bill’s proposal to introduce a 14-day cooling-off period for digital subscription services. The company argues that this could be exploited by customers who subscribe, consume all desired content within the two-week period, and then cancel, potentially leading to price increases for loyal subscribers. Disney suggests that such behavior would benefit “bad actors” without compensating the majority of responsible users and could result in higher costs for producing high-quality content. The UK government maintains that the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Bill aims to enhance competition in online markets while ensuring a fair deal for consumers and avoiding excessive regulatory burdens on businesses.