European Union asks Netflix to slow down streaming to save Internet

Millions of people are staying home in an attempt to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The internet is experiencing an elevated amount of traffic, especially on streaming sites. The Europen Union has asked Netflix and other streaming platforms to stop showing content in high definition out of fear that it would contribute to an internet breakdown from unprecedented levels of usage.

EU officials are reportedly concerned about the strain on internet bandwidth that is caused by hundreds of millions of people working from home and studying remotely. European Commissioner Thierry Breton posted on Twitter Wednesday night to let people know he had spoken with Netflix CEO Reed Hastings about the issue.

"Important phone conversation with @ReedHastings, CEO of @Netflix. To beat #COVID19, we #StayAtHome. Teleworking & streaming help a lot but infrastructures might be in strain. To secure Internet access for all, let’s #SwitchToStandard definition when HD is not necessary."

According to Netflix spokesperson, Breton and Hastings are expected to speak again today about the matter.

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