Anurag Thakur : OTT Platforms Must “Reflect The Collective Conscience Of The Country”

Anurag Thakur, Information and Broadcast Minister of India met representatives of  OTT platforms including Netflix, Amazon, Discovery, Disney Hotstar, Amazon and Alt Balaji, among others to discuss various concerns related to OTT. This meeting was aimed at the content that is created by the platforms, also it was to discuss on the representation of India and Indian culture in online content.

Here’s what Information and Broadcast Minster said

Anurag Thakur, the information and broadcasting minister, stated at a meeting on Tuesday that over-the-top platforms functioning in India must “reflect the collective conscience of the country” and offer “a healthy viewing experience to people of all age groups.”

The government-organized gathering also covered streaming platform content that “demeans Indian culture” or is “increasingly vulgar” in addition to gaining a better “understanding” of the fast expanding streaming industry.

According to sources, representatives of OTT platforms—which have long defended “creative freedom”—told the minister that there are currently many methods in place to filter and categorize information in compliance with the laws governing the use of digital media.

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Compulsions with OTT platforms

All content transmitted, published, or displayed by OTT platforms must be classified according to the nature and type of content and divided into five categories: suitable for universal (U) viewing; for ages 7 and above (U/A 7+); 13 and above (U/A 13+); 16 and above (U/A 16+); and Adult (A) content. This requirement has been part of the mandatory Code of Ethics for online curated content since 2021. Although the regulations also require OTT platforms to take into account India’s multiracial and multireligious context and use “due caution and discretion” when featuring the actions, convictions, customs, or opinions of any racial or religious group, streaming services frequently violate one or more of the regulations through their content.

Thakur warned OTT players that the government would not permit the “demeaning of Indian culture and society in the name of creative freedom” and urged them to refrain from using their platforms to spread “vicious propaganda and ideological biases”.