Streaming platform subscriptions, whether music or audiovisual, are no longer as affordable as they were in the 2010s. Netflix recently raised its prices again, much to the dismay of Internet users who consider these increases disproportionate. To stem these regular increases, which penalize consumers, could the government implement price controls? The debate is underway.
Prices have been steadily rising for a decade
Price increases are starting to get a bit much, thanks for everything Netflix, but bye bye pic.twitter.com/NVrLK9bIFm
— (@TalkMyFootball) May 21, 2025
In 2014, Netflix arrived in France, causing a real upheaval in the way we consume films and series. Goodbye piracy: for the modest sum of 11.99 euros per month, consumers had access to a wide catalog of new programs as well as reruns. Accessible to the greatest number of people, this formula offered everyone a legal alternative to illegal streaming sites, and without advertising! But that, as our ancestors say, was the good old days... In April, the Premium plan went up to 21.99 euros/month, an increase of 83% compared to 2014!
In addition to increasing its prices for subscribers via Canal, Disney+ will prevent account sharing starting in November and punish people who share their passwords.
— Regelegorila (@regelegorila) October 3, 2023
These punishments could include account blocking.
The world of streaming is becoming more and more disgusting. pic.twitter.com/s30pVuitMn
And Netflix is far from being an exception. In 5 years, Prime Video subscribers have seen their subscriptions increase by +50%, and those of Disney+ by 70%. As for Spotify, which charged €9.99 per month for its subscription, it has now increased to €12.14 per month, and Deezer, which arrived in France in 2007, has increased from €9.99 to €11.99 per month. While the price increase for movie/TV streaming platforms is much more pronounced than for those allowing you to listen to music, the trend is there in both cases.
A government-controlled increase? Internet users debate
DEBATE | Should the government regulate the increase in subscription prices for platforms like Netflix or Spotify, whose prices continue to rise? pic.twitter.com/FYxtUXHKvc
— Cerfia (@CerfiaFR) June 8, 2025
Via their X account, our colleagues at Cerfia launched a survey among Internet users to gather their opinions on possible government interference regarding the price of streaming subscriptions. As you can see in the comments below, some are in favor of free access to culture, while others believe that everyone is free to consume works or not and to bear the cost.
When will we stop trying to regulate everything by the State in this country? We're dying!
— Libertarian Memes (@memes_libs) June 8, 2025
Under socialism, we should only have one "free" platform for access to culture. https://t.co/d8vOdFnO5S
— beubeu (@BeubriqueDeLait) June 8, 2025
What's this stupid communist question? It's not up to the state to calculate the prices of private company services
— NickTamerOfficiel (@NickTamerGOAT) June 8, 2025
Paying more for a service that doesn't evolve is starting to piss me off
— Gw3n (@Gw3n44810437) June 8, 2025
It should be noted that streaming services belong to private companies and are non-essential services, that is, subject to the rules of the free market. Intervention by the French government on the price of Netflix or Spotify subscriptions, considered "leisure activities," would be difficult to justify and very complicated to implement. Not to mention that if Spotify increased its prices in June 2025, it is because of a new 1.2% tax on music streaming platforms generating more than €20 million in revenue, imposed by the French government in May 2024...
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