This is an interesting legal question from The Hollywood Reporter: should streaming services like Netflix be interrupted by emergency reports?

Curiously this discussion seems jumpstarted by efforts to improve the Emergency Alert System after a serious screw-up.

Notably, in January 2018, citizens of Hawaii woke up to the ominous alarm of a ballistic missile threat that proved to be a mistake. In the wake of this errant message, and as part of defense appropriations legislation, the FCC was directed to study improvements. “As climate change increases the frequency and seriousness of weather emergencies, maintaining an effective emergency alert system has never been more important,” says FCC commissioner Geoffrey Starks.

But what about streamers? How does one ensure that those bingeing Bridgerton get the message of, say, an incoming tornado?

In fighting the possibility of imposing emergency alert obligations for streaming services, both the tech and entertainment lobby (even the Motion Picture Association has filed a comment) make two big points. First, they argue, it’s not necessary given the prevalence of mobile phones, which receive wireless emergency alerts. Second, it would be very costly to pull off. And, in the engineering community, there’s some debate about the challenges of focusing emergency alerts given the large geographic footprint of streaming services.

But perhaps the bigger issue is whether the FCC is going to start taking a more active role in ordering Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and others around like broadcasters. A notice of proposed rule-making notes the agency hasn’t yet even defined “streaming services,” with an invitation for comment.