Vimeo disables some features in the EU (and increases prices)
[11:54 Fri,3.January 2025 by blip]
Vimeo was long a popular alternative to YouTube among indie filmmakers, but the video platform's focus has shifted strongly towards the B2B segment, especially since its IPO. Its ambitions to be a video portal for the masses have largely been abandoned.
In December, several important features for Vimeo users in the EU and UK were also discontinued, further diminishing the service's appeal in these regions. Specifically, individual user-uploaded videos are no longer organized or promoted on Vimeo.com. The following features of the free plan are no longer available on Vimeo.com in the EU and UK:
- Searching Vimeo is now limited to the video content in your own video library. - Channels, groups, categories, and other curated video collections, including "Staff Picks," are no longer accessible. - "My Feed" is no longer accessible. - "For Hire" is no longer accessible.
While Vimeo states that these changes only affect the free subscription, the change also impacts the entire Vimeo audience. For example, clicking on the Staff Picks page redirects to European Film Awards, where hand-picked Vimeo short films are now shown – browsing video clips on Vimeo itself is definitively no longer possible.
"You are seeing this page because Vimeo no longer features user-uploaded videos on Vimeo.com in your region. If you are looking for short films to watch, we encourage you to explore the European Film Academy's collection above."
Vimeo cites EU/UK regulations targeting online platforms, which lead to high costs, as the reason for this step. While other services "like YouTube may handle legal costs differently due to their advertising-supported models," Vimeo has made the "difficult decision" to adapt differently, namely by no longer displaying user content as a platform (video hosting and the ability to embed clips on other sites remains).
The background is likely the Digital Service Act (DSA) and the Digital Market Act (DMA) introduced in the EU, as well as the "Online Safety Act" in the UK. Their aim is, among other things, to curb "harmful content" on the internet by requiring online platforms to exert greater control over the content they provide. The UK regulation in particular has been sharply criticized as being far too broadly defined; there are fears that it will lead to the closure of many small internet communities (www.techdirt.com/2024/12/20/death-of-a-forum-how-the-uks-online-safety-act-is-killing-communities/).
Upcoming Price Increases
Furthermore, many Vimeo users are expressing anger over announced price increases (in our forum, but also e.g. on Reddit); these seem to vary in amount. Vimeo itself only provides the following statement:
We have decided to change our pricing and plan structure to meet the evolving needs of our customers. We have removed weekly upload limits and instead offer unlimited access to your entire storage space.
;)
