The Centre has decided to bring digital media, including'over the top' (OTT) services, video content sharing and online news platformsunder the purview of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Thisdecision comes as a massive setback to OTT service providers who cashed in onthe lack of regulatory censorship and scored over other forms of broadcastnetworks.
Uncensored content, including movies, TV shows and a hostof other programmes and documentaries, was being streamed across OTT platformsgiving them a distinct edge over other forms of media like DTH and Cable TVnetworks. Subscription-based services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, MXPlayer, Zee and others have expanded their reach in India in recent times withviewership figures running into crores. The spurt during the pandemic phaseitself speaks volumes of the increasing acceptability and success of OTTplatforms.
What changes now is that all these providers will have toapply for prior approval for the content they want to stream. The move opens upa whole lot of complexities because they will now be required to adhere to newregulations and censure content to suit India's criteria. A case in point, Netflixwill now have to censor movies and serials which have found acceptability inother nations.
OTT platforms have controls within their framework,giving the viewer the option to choose what one wants to view. There arecriteria on age classification, content descriptions and parental controls. Thequestion is, why not have an age-appropriate content segregation system insteadof putting a blanket ban. If the intention is only to provide censored contentto viewers in India, why are numerous adult sites allowed to operate? Thegovernment must block all such sites which provide content not suitable to theIndian audience. A student in today's age who knows to handle a cellphone canany time register himself and watch the kind of content he chooses, includingporn. The argument that "kids are watching" is hollow in this age ofthe internet.
Or is the government trying to kill two birds in onestone? While these OTT services were streaming uncensored content, prominentfigures in the political dispensation were facing flak. There were programmescritical of government with fierce narratives told. Modi-bashing, HinduNationalism, Citizens Amendment Act, Minorities and Kashmir are some of thetopics that have caught the attention of viewers, and the government too. Thereare movies, documentaries and talk shows on politically sensitive issues. Withthe Centre taking control, all this could change.
Questions remain on whether this move is to protectIndian audiences or whether the government wants to bridge the regulatory gap.It is to be seen how the government goes ahead in implementing this censorshipand how it puts regulatory mechanisms in place. It's also to be seen how theOTT providers proceed when the thin line between them and other modes of thebroadcast is virtually erased.
