The Academy VOD Platform is powered by Vimeo OTT, Vimeo’s over-the-top media service.
The Academy VOD Platform is restricted to the voting members of the European Film Academy in the framework of the nomination and awarding procedures as well as core staff of the European Film Academy. Furthermore, the European Film Academy offers curated content for the Academy members outside of the awards season.
The access to the films on the platform is strictly non-public and non-commercial. The Academy VOD Platform serves as a tool to present the films to those that are involved in the awarding procedures or special programmes.
In the nomination and awarding process, the members of the European Film Academy, currently more than 5,000 film professionals from all over Europe each of them carefully chosen (by official application or invitation) and personally registered in the European Film Academy’s internal database, are entitled to watch the films selected and nominated for the European Film Awards and vote for the nominations as well as in the end for the winners in the European Film Awards categories.
The Academy VOD platform is password-protected. Authentication of the Academy Members is managed by the Single Sign-On (SSO) provider Auth0 trusted by companies worldwide. Auth0 holds key certifications like ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27018, and SOC 2 Type II (https://auth0.com/security). This means that both content and user data are handled with the utmost care, adhering to rigorous security protocols.
The Academy Members are obliged to confirm the Terms of Use for the Academy VOD platform which includes the condition that the films must neither be copied nor distributed nor be shown to any persons other than Academy Members. However, the European Film Academy does not assume any responsibility for any unauthorized use of the Academy VOD platform. Due to the European dimension of the Academy, geo-blocking cannot be applied.
All video content is stored on AWS Simple Storage (S3) and Google Cloud Storage. Data access is audited, monitored, and controlled via access control policies. All data access and management is done over an SSL-encrypted connection.
Video streams are protected through a combination of security measures. Video can only be accessed through an SSL-encrypted URL with a self-expiring token/signature. This token is specific to the customer / video and is verified prior to and during video playback. Video access is further protected through rate limiting which monitors the viewer’s location and device. If irregular video access is detected, access is automatically disabled.
The Academy VOD Platform applies DRM (Digital Rights Management), securing the video-streams in the best possible way. DRM on Vimeo OTT uses a combination of the following technologies in apps and experiences:
1. Apple Fairplay on iOS, TVOS devices, and Safari browsers
2. Google Widevine L3 + HDCP 1.0 on Android, Android TV devices (including Fire TV), and Chrome browsers
3. Microsoft PlayReady on Roku and Microsoft Edge browser
Furthermore, the Academy VOD Platform applies HDCP (High-Bandwidth Content Protection), a form of digital copy protection to prevent copying of digital audio and video content as it travels across connections.
All user data is encrypted and protected in the Vimeo database which implements continuous protection, high availability, and on-disk encryption. Safety measures include advanced system configurations, automatic security patch application, regular intrusion tests, and required SSL-encrypted connections.
In-App Downloads Security:
The following security measures are in place to safeguard films downloaded through the platform’s mobile applications for both Android and iOS:
Encryption and DRM Protection: Films downloaded through the Vimeo OTT mobile apps are encrypted and stored in a secure, app-specific environment. This ensures that the downloaded content cannot be accessed outside of the app itself, and the file remains protected from unauthorized redistribution.
Secure Offline Viewing: The downloaded films are available for offline viewing only within the app, which prevents any unauthorized copying or sharing of the content. Users are unable to access or transfer the film files to other devices or locations.
App-Level Restrictions: The VOD applications enforce strict access controls to ensure that only authorized users (European Film Academy members with proper credentials) can download and view films.
Platform Security Compliance: The VOD app for mobile devices complies with industry-standard security protocols, including SSL encryption, ensuring that all data, including downloaded content, is transmitted securely. The app is also subject to the security policies and requirements set forth by the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, which include data protection and privacy safeguards.
For more information and the processing of the personal data of all users, both the submitters and viewers, please see the European Film Academy’s Privacy Policy.
