You must be aware of how the government has made it mandatory for all the OTT platforms to show a 30-second non-skippable Tobacco awareness ad ahead of every title.
Well, guess what…another one might be on the way soon.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with a request to ensure that OTT platforms show warnings in English, Hindi, and local languages before displaying any adult content.
These warnings should mention specific legal provisions, such as Section 11 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, to alert viewers. This will inform subscribers that they could be held responsible if their child views such adult content.
Yes, the person who has bought that specific account will be held responsible. Now, imagine a situation.
A child watches something sexually explicit. Ideally, the person who showed that content would be held responsible under POCSO. But, who will complain about this act?
The perpetrator would never complain to the authorities. The children are never really aware of their rights. Hardly any school in Tier 2 or Tier 3 city teaches about such things to children.
But laws are laws.
Anyway, section 11 of the POCSO Act covers sexual harassment of children, including showing them pornographic material in any form. If someone breaks this law, they could face up to three years in prison or a fine.
The NCPCR’s letter, sent on September 19, follows a meeting in August where officials discussed the increasing number of crimes committed by minors after watching pornographic content.
One reason for this action is that OTT platforms allow users to create different profiles, but these profiles are not protected by passwords. This makes it easy for children to access inappropriate content meant for adults.
Additionally, the NCPCR has recommended that the Ministry of Telecommunications explore whether SIM cards could be issued in a child’s name, likely to add another layer of control and responsibility regarding access to content and online services.