In the first step to regulate digital content, the government has expanded the powers of the ministry of information and broadcasting to begin regulating OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar videos, and other digital content, including online news.
The change is part of a comprehensive exercise at the I&B ministry to enact a new law that would decriminalize crimes under the Press and Book Registration Act of 1867 and make it mandatory for news websites to be registered with the Newspaper Registry of India. (RNI). The proposed law will be presented shortly to the Cabinet of the Union.
The presidential order that modifies the powers of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was issued on Monday, weeks after a public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court that sought instructions from the Center to configure a mechanism for monitoring, management and regulation of content in video transmission. platforms. The order brought films and audiovisual programs made available by providers of online content and news and current affairs content on online platforms under the purview of the I&B ministry.
People familiar with the matter told the Hindustan Times that the order is the result of an exercise that had started in the government some time ago and is not directly related to the petition to the Supreme Court.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ordered the change in the powers of the I&B ministry on May 30,” said a senior government official.
He said the government had been receiving complaints about unregulated, sexually explicit, vulgar and legally restricted content posted by OTT and other platforms. “But there was no mechanism to redress the grievances that people had,” said the official.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, or Meity, the only government department that could have any jurisdiction over digital media, is not equipped to monitor the content but only the technical aspects.
It is likely that the ministry of information and broadcasting requires these platforms to register with the ministry in order to operate in the country. This would imply that even international streaming-on-demand services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Videos, would have to register with the government and follow basic rules for the videos they stream, an official with the ministry of information and streaming said. This would bring the treatment of foreign players on par with domestic players such as MX Player, Voot, Altbalaji, ZEE5, Sun NXT, and Eros.
At the same time, the government has also finalized the bill on the Registration of Press and Periodicals (RPP) that has been in process for years. In its revamped form, the proposed law would make it mandatory for news websites and online channels to register with the government.
Officials said a mechanism was needed to ensure that digital content did not cross widely accepted red lines. While there is an India Press Council led by a retired judge to hear complaints related to print media, television news channels are owned by the Association of News Broadcasters (NBA).
The changes, seen as an effort to level the field between traditional media and the digital media space, also simplify registration procedures. For example, news websites and newspapers would not need to submit a separate application to the district magistrate, but would only apply online to the General Press Secretary, who will seek feedback from the district magistrate in question before approving the request. .
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