Petition Filed in Supreme Court Seeks Regulatory Board for OTT, Streaming Platforms in India

A petition filed in the Supreme Court calls for a regulatory board to monitor and manage over-the-top (OTT) and streaming platforms in India. The plea highlights the unchecked explicit content on these platforms and seeks the creation of an autonomous body to ensure regulation, similar to traditional media.

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking the establishment of a regulatory board to oversee over-the-top (OTT) and streaming platforms in India. The plea argues that these platforms currently operate without the checks and balances applied to traditional media such as films and television.

'Unlike films shown in theatres, OTT content doesn't go through a certification process before release, leading to a rise in explicit scenes, violence, and substance abuse without proper warnings,' said advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, who filed the plea. The plea also highlights the inefficiency of the IT Rules 2021 introduced by the Union of India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to self-regulate OTT platforms.

Jha further stated that these platforms exploit loopholes, allowing controversial content that may impact national security and promote negative behaviors like gambling and drug use. The petition aims to prevent harm before it occurs by ensuring a regulatory body is in place, akin to the censor board for movies and TV programs.

The petition also claims that the OTT medium is being used to promote substances prohibited for advertisement, such as gambling, liquor, and drugs, by exploiting existing loopholes. Additionally, it raises the issue of the absence of any law or autonomous body governing digital content, resulting in unfiltered material being available to the public.

The plea seeks directives for the creation of a board or institution to monitor and manage content on various OTT streaming and digital media platforms. 'OTT platforms provide filmmakers and artists a way to release content without worrying about censor board clearance,' it notes.

The petition urges the central government to establish an autonomous regulatory board headed by an IAS officer at the secretary level, including members from diverse fields such as media, defense, law, and education. The absence of such a board creates an unlevel playing field between traditional media and digital streaming services, it concludes.

(With inputs from agencies.)