Supreme Court Dismisses PIL for OTT Content Regulation

The Supreme Court dismissed a PIL asking for an autonomous body to monitor OTT content, citing it as a policy matter. This decision underscores the need for executive consultation and highlights the limitations of current regulations compared to traditional film certification.

The Supreme Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought the establishment of an autonomous body to oversee and regulate content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms. The bench, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, emphasized that such matters require executive policymaking and extensive stakeholder consultation.

Lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha, who filed the PIL, cited cases like the Netflix series 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack' to argue for regulatory mechanisms akin to those applied to traditional films under the Cinematograph Act. The PIL claimed that OTT platforms are not effectively self-regulating and may abuse the right to expression.

Despite acknowledging the need for regulation, the court maintained that the issue falls squarely within policy domains, which cannot be addressed through judicial intervention. The dismissal reflects ongoing debates about content regulation in the digital age.

(With inputs from agencies.)