The government has blocked as many as 43 over-the-top (OTT) platforms to curb the spread of explicit, adult, violent, or culturally insensitive content and ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
The government notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, on February 25, 2021, under the IT Act, 2000.
“Part III of the Rules provides for a Code of Ethics for digital news publishers and publishers of online curated content (OTT platforms). OTT platforms are obligated not to transmit any content prohibited by law currently in force,” Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
OTT platforms are obligated to undertake age-based self-classification of content, based on general guidelines provided in the Schedule to the Rules, which contain provisions related to the depiction of nudity, sex, and violence, he further mentioned.
“After due consultation with relevant ministries, 43 OTT platforms have been blocked so far,” Vaishnaw added.
The minister stated that OTT platforms are also required to implement adequate safeguards to restrict age-inappropriate content for children, along with effective access control measures.
Besides, Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, empowers appropriate governments to notify intermediaries of unlawful acts or content, requiring them to remove or disable access to such content.
The government has already issued an advisory to OTT platforms and their self-regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with Indian laws and the Code of Ethics outlined in the IT Rules, 2021, when hosting content on their platforms.
In a bid to crack down on unlawful and obscene content, the government last week directed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to disable public access to 25 OTT platforms, including popular names like Ullu, ALTT, and Desiflix.
The move was aimed at curbing the dissemination of content deemed sexually explicit and violative of Indian legal and cultural standards.