OTT Platforms Complying With IT Rules: Industry Bodies Tell Govt

Two industry bodies of the Indian over-the-top (OTT) ecosystem reportedly told the government that the OTT platforms are ensuring compliance with the IT Rules.

The Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) wrote two separate letters to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) saying that OTT platforms have agreed to go through a thorough process to ensure that the content they produce is in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the IT Rules 2021, ET reported.

The separate letters had identical content, as per the report.

The ministry was also informed that the platforms are taking precautionary measures to make sure that none of the content they create has an adverse effect on India’s sovereignty, integrity or security.

The OTT platforms are also exercising due caution and discretion while showing the actions, convictions, customs, or opinions of any racial or religious group on screen, as per the letters.

“We would like to reiterate that the OCCPs (online curated content platforms) are committed to producing world-class content in India and promoting India as a global content hub as envisioned by both the prime minister of India and the information and broadcasting minister, while also accounting for the sensitivities and cultural nuances of the country,” the letters said.

“In addition, we would like to restate the fact that OCCPs are fully committed to complying with the Code of Ethics laid down in the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021,” the letters added.

Each OCCP will take the responsibility to brief the creators and producers about the Code of Ethics to ensure that they are cognisant of various nuances while creating a film, series or documentary, according to the IDMIF and the IAMAI .

For the portrayal of delicate subjects related to portrayal of social issues, minority communities and religious groups, the OCCPs, based on their assessment, will consult experts including academics, lawyers, judges, campaigners and business executives in related fields.

Earlier, the ministry held meetings with OCCPs on July 18 and June 20 to discuss the presence of vulgarity, abusive language and violence in OTT content.

Expressing dissatisfaction with some of the OTT content, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra said, earlier this year, that the government’s ‘soft-touch’ regulatory approach towards the OTT streaming space has led to some content that is ‘not desirable’.

The government has also introduced a three-level grievance redressal mechanism to address grievances relating to the violation of the IT Rules, notified in February 2021.

The Indian OTT segment is dominated by players such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Jio Cinema, Disney+ Hotstar, and Zee5, among others. As per a report, the Indian OTT streaming market is projected to soar to a size of $12.5 Bn by 2030.