Government Urges OTT Platforms to Adhere to Ethics, Avoid Vulgar Content
This move follows Allahbadia's comments
Government Urges OTT Platforms to Adhere to Ethics, Avoid Vulgar Content
The government warned on Thursday OTT platforms against distributing content that is not permitted by laws. This comes as that the Supreme Court called for the regulation of offensive YouTube content following the aftermath of the influencer Ranveer Allahbadia's crude jokes.
In a letter to content creators who have online access and self-regulatory bodies for OTT platforms The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that the all OTT platforms must abide by the laws applicable to them as well as their own Code of Ethics prescribed under the IT Rules, 2021, when creating content for their platform, which includes the adherence to an age-based classification system for content.
The Centre endorsed Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, which stipulate an Code of Ethics for OTT platforms as well as a three-level institutional process for redressing complaints arising from the violation of the Code of Ethics.
The Code requires OTT platforms to not transmit content that is legally prohibited, to conduct an assessment of age for content, based on general guidelines outlined by the Schedule to the Rules, create access control mechanisms for content with an A rating to restrict access to this content for children. They must also use care and discretion.
The rules also stipulate that self-regulatory organizations of OTT platforms must supervise and ensure alignment and conformity of these platforms Code of Ethics.
The advisory further stated that in accordance with the Indecent Representation of Women's Act 1986 and in addition to the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita of 2023 and in addition to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Information Technology Act, 2000 publishing obscene or pornographic content was an apprehensible crime.
The ministry based its advice on a variety of references from MPs, the representations of the statutory bodies, and complaints from the public about the spread of obscene vulgar, pornographic and sexually explicit content that was published by certain online curators of content.
