Stories
OTT Platforms Need Lakshmana Rekha: Protecting Children from Unregulated Content
- •The article highlights the dangers of unregulated OTT content for children, citing an example of a 13-year-old girl exposed to explicit material.
- •It argues that unlike traditional television where parental control was easier, OTT on personal devices allows children to watch content alone, often unsuitable for their age.
- •The author points out gaps in the current system, including platforms self-rating content, banned apps reappearing, and accountability only after public outrage, citing examples like Ullu, ALTT, Tandav, and IC 814.
- •The Supreme Court has issued notices regarding explicit content, and the Centre is considering stronger rules, as streaming is currently treated differently from cinema halls under the Cinematograph Act of 1952.
- •The article proposes solutions inspired by other countries, such as an independent authority, pre-release review for certain content, and default parental controls, emphasizing that reasonable restrictions are permitted under Article 19(2) of the Constitution.
Key Questions Answered
A film meant for a cinema hall requires certification from the censor board under the Cinematograph Act of 1952 because that law specifically covers public exhibition. In contrast, streaming counts as private viewing on personal devices, placing it outside the scope of that historical law.
The Centre has disabled public access to 50 OTT platforms over the past two years for allegedly hosting obscene, pornographic, and harmful digital content. This enforcement action was taken to ramp up measures addressing digital addiction and strengthening child safety online.
Britain's Media Act of 2024 requires services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ to follow standards similar to television channels if they have more than five lakh British users. Under this code, viewers can complain directly to the regulator, and non-compliance can trigger financial penalties reaching up to five per cent of revenue.
