Google, Facebook and BBC should face media ownership review, says UK watchdog

London, June 20 (ANI): Internet search giant Google, the British Broadcasting Corporation and social network Facebook should be included in reviews of media ownership, a UK watchdog has ruled.

Ofcom pointed out that more Britons than ever are getting news from online sources and it should be included in assessments of the country's media.

The watchdog found that Facebook and Google News are used by almost a fifth of people who access the Internet for news, while 57 per cent view the BBC's online news coverage.

Ofcom said it would conduct formal reviews of the media every four to five years but stopped short of putting an absolute cap on ownership, The Daily Mail reports.

"Online news, in a wide variety of forms, is used by a significant and rapidly growing proportion of the UK population. It is a dynamic and diverse sector. Online should be included in a plurality review," the regulator said in a report.

A research compiled for Ofcom revealed that Britons use at least two different media to get information, with television cited as the most important source.

Nearly 30 percent of adults access their daily news from newspapers, 29 per cent from the Internet, while 41 per cent cite radio and 88 per cent television. (ANI)