ARCOM issues new guidelines on the accessibility of AVMS for disabled persons

ARCOM published new guidelines in October 2025 on the accessibility of services providing access to audiovisual media services (“Lignes directrices relatives à l’accessibilité des services fournissant un accès à des services de médias audiovisuels”).

Since 28 June 2025, ARCOM has been entitled to enforce accessibility obligations on audiovisual media service publishers and distributors of audiovisual media services, namely to make their websites, mobile applications and, where available, their electronic program guides accessible to persons with disabilities (art. L412-13 of the French Consumer Code).

Among these obligations, ARCOM reminds stakeholders that they must ensure that users are informed about the accessibility features available to them – including closed captioning, audio description, audio subtitling and sign-language interpretation – and that, where available, those features are fully transmitted with appropriate quality for clear display and synchronised with the sound and video; and that the display and use of these features can be adjusted by users. They must also provide information on the interoperability of their services with assistive devices and features. The guidelines set out specifications on these requirements.

Why it matters: In the event of a breach of these requirements, in addition to a potential fine, the publisher or distributor of the AVMS may face name and shame.