In future, video creators in the Czech Republic will be subject to new registration requirements. Anyone who achieves a wide reach with their content and earns money from it will have to register with the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting. The aim is to better regulate professional online providers and meet European requirements.
From May 2025, successful video producers, known as influencers, will be required to register their activities with the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting (RRTV) in the Czech Republic. The new regulation primarily affects professional YouTubers, Instagram and TikTok stars who exceed certain thresholds for reach and income.
Specifically, digital content providers whose videos achieve a total of at least 500,000 views per year must register — with the viewing figures considered separately for each platform. In addition, the obligation to register applies only to creators who generate an annual income of more than 50,000 Czech crowns (around 2,000 euros) from their video production and publish at least 52 videos per year.
The Broadcasting Council justifies the new regulation by citing the growing importance of online video platforms. The aim is to cover professional providers in particular, who are comparable to traditional television broadcasters in terms of reach and professionalism. Small creators or hobby filmmakers who do not reach the specified thresholds are exempt from the registration requirement.
Public institutions such as schools, universities, museums or public authorities are explicitly excluded, provided they do not pursue commercial interests with their videos. The legal basis for the new regulation is an EU directive that aims to improve the protection of minors on the internet and establish clear rules for commercial communication in the digital space.
Unlike the previous procedure, affected content creators will no longer have to report themselves to the Council. Instead, the authority will actively search for relevant channels and contact the operators if they meet the criteria. Registration itself will be free of charge.
The draft law had already sparked discussion in autumn 2023. Media experts and even Culture Minister Martin Baxa from the ODS criticised the unclear wording and potential bureaucratic hurdles for the creative industries at the time. The Broadcasting Council has now assured that it will regularly review the thresholds and criteria and adjust them if necessary.
The new regulation comes into force as part of the Czech Media Act, which implements the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). Comparable regulations already exist in some other European countries, albeit with different thresholds.
