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Has the Time Come for the Strict OTT Rules?

By Binged Bureau - Jul 08, 2020 @ 10:07 am

OTT censorship indiaEvery form of creative media whether it is print, television, radio or films is under some sort of regulation or censorship as per the instructions from the government. Although the latest players in the field, the OTT platforms, who have remained aloof from any sort of regulatory structure, are an exception. The platforms had earlier signed a self-regulatory code of best practices under the aegis of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) but there is no official government policy regarding it.

But this may change soon as indicated by the Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare. In a virtual meeting he discussed the lack of regulation in the OTT platforms and the need for developing a level playing field for all sorts of creative media. The secretary noted that the government believes more in the idea of facilitating rather than regulating. He also noted that level playing field does not mean bringing everyone under heavy regulatory structure nor is it about bringing everyone to lowest common.

Earlier in March, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had given the OTT players 100 days to set up an adjudicatory body along with finalising a standard code of conduct. Citing the example of streaming platforms in China, France and Singapore who abide by government regulations for streaming content, Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Information and Broadcasting had set up a meeting with industry giants and had given them a deadline to abide by the rules of the Digital Content Complaint Council (DCCC), a brainchild of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMA).

According to DCCC’s rules, platforms will need to censor content which are banned by the court, outrages religious sentiments, promotes violence against the state or depicts child pornography. The government has told the players that there will be no censorship but categorization and segregation of content based on the rules.

The government has been in consultation with the industry players to work towards a self-regulation model.

Time and again there have been issues arising about the kind of content available on these platforms and whether or not it must be censored or regulated. Whether it was Anushka Sharma produced Indian Web series ‘Paatal Lok’, which was criticised and accused for portraying and encouraging ‘Hinduphobic’ content or Polish film ‘365 Days’ that was blamed for glamorising “the brutal reality of sex trafficking, kidnapping and rape”, none have been spared by the netizens. All these have led to increased demand for regulation/censorship of these OTT platforms.

On the other hand, the OTT platforms believe that it will curb the creative spirit of the content makers who have freedom to showcase ideas and things which might not have been possible conventionally. The platforms want to provide creative freedom and prevent any outside regulation. They believe that self-regulation encourages creativity and makes content creators more responsive to their viewers.

The discussion to regulate the OTT platforms has been in the news for quite some time and the same is expected to see the light of the day soon.

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