Govt Asks OTT & Social Media Platforms To Follow IT Rules

SUMMARY

In a statement, ministry of information and broadcasting said that it has received references from members of parliament, and public grievances regarding alleged spread of obscene, pornographic and vulgar content posted online by some publishers

The ministry has asked the OTT platforms to not transmit any content which is prohibited by law, undertake age-based classification of content and implement access control mechanisms for ‘A’ rated content so that children have no access to such content

It also stressed upon the IT Act, POCSO Act and the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) which makes publishing of obscene or pornographic content a punishable offence

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the YouTube show India’s Got Latent, the ministry of information and broadcasting has urged OTT players and social media platforms to adhere to the code of conduct prescribed under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

In a statement, the ministry said that it has received references from members of parliament, and public grievances regarding alleged spread of obscene, pornographic and vulgar content posted online by some publishers.

Moreover, the ministry has also stressed upon the IT Act, POCSO Act and the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) which makes publishing of obscene or pornographic content a punishable offence.

Mint reported the development first.

Two weeks back, 31-year-old social media influencer Ranveer Allahbadia made a controversial remark on an episode of stand up comedian Samay Raina’s show ‘India’s Got Latent’, following which sparked widespread criticism and even led to police complaints against Allahbadia, another social media influencer Apoorva Makhija, Raina and the organisers of the show.

Following the controversy, people from all walks of life demanded enactment of legislation to bring social media platforms and OTT streaming platforms under the ambit of law.

NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar also wrote a letter to IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw regarding the same.

The show, ‘India’s Got Latent’, popular among young audiences for its edgy and often provocative content, featured Allahbadia posing a question to a contestant about parents and sex, which was widely criticised. Later, the YouTuber also issued an apology on the same.

Many politicians, public figures and actors condemned him for ‘misusing’ freedom of speech.

This also comes at a time when the government has been calling for tightening the existing rules which govern social media and OTT platforms in the country.

Last year, the Centre blocked 18 OTT platforms, including Uncut Adda, Dreams Films and Prime Play among others, for publishing obscene, vulgar and in some instances pornographic content, after multiple warnings.