California bans loud commercials on Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services

The state of California has passed a law that will ban loud commercial advertisements on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and others. The new regulation, set to take effect on July 1, 2026, will prohibit streaming platforms from transmitting audio from commercial advertisements at a higher volume than the accompanying video content. The goal of this legislation is to provide a more comfortable viewing experience for consumers, who often find loud commercials disruptive and irritating. The law aims to ensure that the audio levels of advertisements are consistent with the surrounding program material, preventing sudden and jarring volume changes. This move aligns with similar regulations already in place for traditional television broadcasting, where the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has implemented the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act to address the issue of loud commercials. The California law extends these consumer protections to the rapidly growing streaming media landscape.