The Union government has brought Over The Top (OTT) platforms, or video streaming service providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others, under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The story so far
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has found a wide swath of unregulated content, namely online news and Over the top (OTT) platforms that escaped any regulatory architecture. While printing was regulated by the Press Council of India and Television, both News and Entertainment were being regulated by the Cable Networks Regulation Act (2005), online content, the Government considered, fell in an unsupervised black hole.
Also read: Netflix, Amazon Prime, other OTT platforms now under the government. regulation
It can also be recalled that last month the Supreme Court of India issued a notice to the Center and the Internet and Mobile Association of India, about a petition to regulate OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
So what did the Ministry do?
At some point last month, the Ministry wrote to the Ministry of Information and Technology to explore the possibility of regulating online content. The rational? The Ministry was already regulating news and entertainment content on television and radio through statutory bodies under the Ministry. In addition, senior Ministry officials said they were receiving several complaints from the public that underscored concern and the need to regulate content online.
Which it was the result?
A notification from the Cabinet Secretary on November 9 said that films and audiovisual programs made available by online content providers and news and current affairs content on the online platform will be under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This will take effect immediately. Ministry officials feel the order is an enabling mandate to enforce, in the words of Ministry officials, greater online discipline.
How does the Ministry propose to regulate news and OTT online?
There are no details for now, but it is known that the Program Code that governs television content and that found a way out in the Cable Television Network Regulation Act of 1995, can serve as a template for framing the rules. for online content. The Program Code lists several It is not that channels should watch and follow. Currently, the Electronic Media Monitoring Center, which was created in 2008, is entrusted with the work of monitoring content on TV. Post reports on violations of the Program Code. The findings go to an inter-ministerial committee. There is a possibility that the tracking service report will be expanded to include online content.
However, monitoring content 24×7 has its own challenges. It remains to be seen whether the Ministry will establish a committee involving the public to investigate the complaints received.
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