Indian Government Tightens Grip on OTT Content with New Advisory

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has urged OTT platforms to comply with Indian laws and the 2021 IT Rules. The advisory follows concerns from various stakeholders over explicit content. OTT platforms are advised to enforce age-based restrictions and adhere to the Code of Ethics to avoid violations.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory on Thursday urging online curated content publishers to abide by Indian laws and the Code of Ethics set out in the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

In correspondence to OTT platforms and self-regulatory bodies, the IT Ministry emphasized the necessity for stricter compliance with content classification as mandated by the rules. Self-regulatory bodies are also encouraged to proactively address any ethical breaches.

The advisory comes after concerns raised by parliament members and statutory bodies about alleged obscene and vulgar content. The 2021 IT Rules include a Code of Ethics obligating OTT platforms to restrict offensive content and implement age-based controls.