Don’t transmit vulgar content, follow ethics: Govt to OTT platforms

The government on Thursday warned OTT platforms against transmitting content that is barred by law. The move comes after the Supreme Court called for the regulation of obscene YouTube content in the wake of influencer Ranveer Allahbadia’s vulgar jokes.

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In an advisory to online curated content publishers and self-regulatory bodies on OTT platforms, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said all OTT platforms must adhere to the provisions of applicable laws and the Code of Ethics prescribed under the IT Rules, 2021, while publishing content on their platforms, including adherence to age-based classification of content.

“Self-regulatory bodies on OTT platforms are requested to take appropriate proactive action for violation of the Code of Ethics by the platforms,” the advisory said.

The Centre flagged Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which provide for a Code of Ethics for OTT platforms and a three-level institutional mechanism for the redressal of grievances relating to the violation of the code.

The code requires OTT platforms not to transmit any content which is prohibited by law, undertake an age-based classification of content based on general guidelines provided in the Schedule to the Rules, implement access control mechanism for A-rated content to restrict access to such content by children and also exercise due caution and discretion.

The rules also provide that the self-regulatory bodies of OTT platforms shall oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence by such platforms to the Code of Ethics.

The advisory further said that under provisions of the Indecent Representation of Women’s Act, 1986, the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Information Technology Act, 2000, publication of obscene and pornographic content was a punishable offence.

The ministry based its advisory on several references received by MPs, representations from statutory bodies and public grievances regarding alleged spread of obscene, pornographic and vulgar content published by certain creators of online curated content.

The advisory comes after the SC on Tuesday termed Allahbadia’s offensive remarks on the India’s Got Latent show as “dirty, perverted, disgusting”. Granting interim protection from arrest to Allahbadia, the SC asked the Centre to regulate content on social media.