Parliamentary panel meets OTT stakeholders as content regulation debate heats up

The Indian government is tightening its grip on content streamed via OTT platforms, citing concerns over vulgarity and lack of editorial oversight. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has emphasized the necessity of strengthening laws governing social media and OTT services, pointing out that while they enable freedom of expression, they also allow unchecked content that may require regulatory intervention.

This issue recently took center stage when the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology convened a meeting in Bengaluru. Chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, the meeting brought together representatives from JioStar, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix, along with officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B). Discussions focused on content concerns, the role of artificial intelligence, and other challenges faced by the industry.

The debate over regulation has been ongoing, with industry bodies pushing for self-regulation under the Information Technology Act. However, the government appears to be leaning towards stricter measures. In December last year, the same parliamentary panel held discussions with industry leaders regarding the growth of OTT platforms and increasing concerns about obscene content.

Regulatory actions have already been taken in this regard. In March 2023, the I&B Ministry, in collaboration with various intermediaries, cracked down on 18 OTT platforms accused of publishing obscene, vulgar, and in some cases, pornographic content. This led to the blocking of 19 websites, 10 apps (7 from Google Play Store and 3 from Apple App Store), and 57 associated social media accounts.

On March 12, 2024, then I&B Minister Anurag Singh Thakur confirmed the takedown of these 18 platforms, reiterating that OTT services must not use ‘creative expression’ as an excuse to promote obscenity and abuse. The blocked platforms included Dreams Films, Voovi, Yessma, Uncut Adda, Tri Flicks, X Prime, Neon X VIP, Besharams, Hunters, Rabbit, Xtramood, Nuefliks, MoodX, Mojflix, Hot Shots VIP, Fugi, Chikooflix, and Prime Play. Additionally, 12 accounts were removed from Facebook, 17 from Instagram, 16 from X (formerly Twitter), and 12 from YouTube.

With regulatory discussions gaining momentum, the future of OTT content in India hangs in the balance as the government weighs stricter controls against industry calls for self-regulation.