Editor's Pick: OTT platforms under pressure despite court stay

OTT, or over-the-top, streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are facing pressure to comply with the Information Technology Rules, 2021, and to exercise further restraint in streaming mature content. This is despite the fact that two High Courts have stayed provisions of the IT Rules, which require them to appoint a grievance officer and take down content when ordered to do so by a self-regulatory body. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has issued two advisories on the issue. The first told the platforms to ensure that a grievance officer’s details are made publicly available on their websites, and the second warned streaming platforms to exercise “abundant precaution in ensuring that films and web-series... do not fall [a]foul of the... Code of Ethics” that is laid out in the IT Rules. Beyond the government advisories, a self-regulatory body that includes Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and ALTBalaji as members, issued an internal advisory to streaming firms. The fact that some sites do not have grievance officers or monthly reports of grievances posted on their website does “not appear to be in strict conformity with the law”, Justice (Retd.) A.K. Sikri, chairperson of the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council’s Grievance Redressal Board, said in an advisory to streaming platforms on April 10. However, the Internet Freedom Foundation told The Hindu, “Given that the Code of Ethics under Rule 9(1) of the IT Rules, 2021 has been stayed by the Bombay and Madras High Courts, OTT platforms are not bound by the terms thereof.” Recently, I&B Minister Anurag Thakur warned streaming services that they should not make content that offends Indian cultural sensibilities. At an event, Mr. Thakur said there were multiple complaints about the kind of content that should not be on TV, that is shown on OTT. This comes even though the redressal board received zero appeals on content complaints in February and March, and just one complaint each in the two months before that. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor’s Pick and more. Click here. The Hindu’s Editorials Promising Bill: On the Rajasthan Platform-based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023 Second innings hopes: On Biden announcement and repeat U.S. presidential candidates The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz B.R. Ambedkar submitted an amendment in the Constituent Assembly that proposed which language as ‘the official language of the Union’? Sanskrit Hindi Tamil English To know the answer and to take the quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 27 April 2023 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( OTT platforms under pressure despite court stay OTT, or over-the-top, streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are facing pressure to comply [with the Information Technology Rules, 2021]( and [to exercise further restraint in streaming mature content.]( is despite the fact that two High[Courts have stayed provisions of the IT Rules,]( which require them to appoint a grievance officer and take down content when ordered to do so by a self-regulatory body. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has issued two advisories on the issue. The first told the platforms to ensure that a [grievance officer’s details are made publicly available]( on their websites, and the second warned streaming platforms to exercise “abundant precaution in ensuring that films and web-series... do not fall [a]foul of the... Code of Ethics” that is laid out in the IT Rules. Beyond the government advisories, a self-regulatory body that includes Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and ALTBalaji as members, issued an internal advisory to streaming firms. The fact that some sites do not have grievance officers or monthly reports of grievances posted on their website does “not appear to be in strict conformity with the law”, Justice (Retd.) A.K. Sikri, chairperson of the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council’s Grievance Redressal Board, said in an advisory to streaming platforms on April 10. However, the Internet Freedom Foundation told The Hindu, “Given that the Code of Ethics under Rule 9(1) of the IT Rules, 2021 has been stayed by the Bombay and Madras High Courts, OTT platforms are not bound by the terms thereof.” Recently, [I&B Minister Anurag Thakur warned streaming services]( that they should not make content that offends Indian cultural sensibilities. At an event, Mr. Thakur said there were multiple complaints about the kind of content that should not be on TV, that is shown on OTT. This comes even though the redressal board received zero appeals on content complaints in February and March, and just one complaint each in the two months before that. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor’s Pick and more. [Click here.]( The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Promising Bill: On the Rajasthan Platform-based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023]( [Arrow][Second innings hopes: On Biden announcement and repeat U.S. presidential candidates]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz B.R. 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