India’s broadcasters and streaming giants will now come into the net of self-certification!
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India’s broadcasters and streaming giants will now come into the net of self-certification!
The Indian government has introduced a new bill that will consolidate the regulatory framework for various broadcasting services, including over-the-top (OTT) content. The bill, once passed, will also regulate streaming giants such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney + Hotstar by setting up content evaluation committees.
Netflix and Amazon have become hugely popular in India, which is set to grow into a $7 billion market for the sector by 2027, according to Media Partners Asia. Top Bollywood stars feature in online shows, some of which have faced criticism from lawmakers and the public for scenes deemed vulgar or offensive to religious sentiments.
Though all films in Indian cinemas are reviewed and certified by a government-appointed board, streamed content is not.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur while informing about the new draft legislation recently, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Advancing the Honourable Prime Minister’s vision for ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living,’ we’re proud to introduce the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill.
This pivotal legislation modernizes our broadcasting sector’s regulatory framework, replacing outdated Acts, Rules, and Guidelines with a unified, future-focused approach” said Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.
A key component of the new law is establishing ‘Content Evaluation Committees’ and changing the inter-departmental committee on a ‘Broadcast Advisory Council’, Thakur added.
A new Broadcast Advisory Council will also be setup to advise the government on violations related to advertisement code and programme code. The new council would be headed by a sectoral expert and will also include eminent persons and bureaucrats, reported PTI.
The new bill with a particular focus on self-regulatory bodies has provisions where such bodies can penalize their members through monetary and non-monetary penalties for contravention of norms and articles, reported PTI.
The report added that penalties included in the bill include warning, monetary penalties for operators or broadcasters, advisory or censure. The legislation also deals with imprisonment or fines for very serious offences.
“A historic opportunity at liberalisation is being squandered and a paternalistic mechanism of censorship and government control has been proposed,” Apar Gupta, a New Delhi-based technology policy expert, said about the content review proposal.
The law will also provide powers to the government to regulate any online creator or news media platform, Gupta added.
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