OTT Platforms to be Regulated by the Indian Government
As per the government’s latest announcement OTT Platforms such as Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc will be regulated by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry of India.
OTT, or Over-the-top platforms are online portals that provide audio and video hosting and streaming services. For example, Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Zee5, online news channels, etc. According to news reports, in India OTT platforms made a business of nearly Rs 500 crore at the end of March 2019, and it may earn Rs 4000-crore by the end of 2025. Television, Newspapers, magazine, or radio have guidelines released by governments which have to be followed.
So far in India, there are no laws or rules regulating OTT platforms as it is a relatively new medium of entertainment. OTT platforms have no regulation on the choice of content they offer, the subscription rates, certification for adult movies and others. Many in India had wanted the government to impose rules on such online platforms because they show many vulgar contents. Now President Ram Nath Kovind signed an order amending the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. As per this, all OTT platforms will now be regulated by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. OTT platforms will not be happy with the decision because many online platforms create movies, web series, etc on sensitive topics. They may not be happy to be censored by the government.
