Overview
- Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan told the Lok Sabha that the CBFC’s mandate covers only theatrical films under the Cinematograph Act, not OTT content.
- OTT services fall under Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which require age-based classification and bar content prohibited by law.
- The IT Rules provide a three-tier redressal framework comprising publisher self-regulation, oversight by industry self-regulatory bodies, and government supervision via an Inter-Departmental Committee.
- At Level I of this framework, complaints received by authorities are forwarded to the relevant platforms for action under publisher self-regulation.
- Murugan said access in India has been disabled for 43 OTT platforms for displaying obscene content, reflecting direct enforcement alongside the self-regulatory model.