Platform executives and content creators termed this a departure from the previous stance of allowing self-regulation, but not entirely unexpected given that web shows occasionally cross the line.
At present, the content on OTT platforms is within the purview of Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, said Siddharth Mahajan, partner at legal firm Athena Legal. “The guidelines give ample leeway to OTT platforms to self-certify content and self-regulate themselves, in so far as content-related issues are concerned. The reason for the proposed change in stance is the feeling within the government that content shown on OTT platforms in general is not being self-regulated by the OTT platforms." There have been recent instances where unsuitable and age-inappropriate content is easily available, especially to children, he said.