An effort to curb overly loud commercials on streaming platforms is moving through the Illinois legislature.
The proposal, which aims to prevent ads from playing at louder levels than shows or movies, was unanimously approved by the Illinois House Public Utilities Committee this week, according to WAND-TV, the NBC affiliate in central Illinois. The measure was passed by the Illinois Senate roughly a week earlier.
Senate Bill 3222 requires streaming services and ad managers to ensure commercials don’t exceed the volume of the shows or movies they accompany, similar to the federal CALM Act, which applies to commercials that air on television, according to the legislation. While the CALM Act applies to traditional television, it doesn’t set standards for streaming.
Under the legislation, a streaming service that utilizes a third-party ad manager for volume control isn’t liable as long as there’s a written agreement requiring the ads to meet industry loudness standards.
The bill considers services compliant if they utilize audio normalization to maintain volume consistency.
Enforcement would be handled by the Illinois Attorney General, which would allow companies 45 days to fix a violation before bringing any penalties. A violation would be counted once over a 30-day period.
Illinois Sen. Doris Turner, who is spearheading the measure, said the bill aims to address viewers’ comfort and annoyance.
“It’s frustrating when you’re watching a show, and it cuts to a commercial that is much louder than the show you were watching,” Turner said in a news release. “This problem is all too familiar, especially for parents who have kids who nap, seniors and individuals with hearing sensitivity.”
A similar law targeting loudness levels on streaming advertisements in California took effect last year.
