PremiumIndian government on OTT censorship: 'Strict action against vulgarity and abusive language'
The Indian government has said it's considering strict action against OTT content that it considers vulgar.
Last Updated: 03.20 PM, Mar 20, 2023
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has said that the government will take strict action against the content on streaming platforms that it deems vulgar and offensive. He noted that presently, the over-the-top (OTT) video payers are allowed a lot of creative freedom and provisions for self-regulation. However, he suggested that the government may assume more control over regulating the content on the streaming platforms if needed.
"Abusing, and rudeness in the name of creativity cannot be tolerated.
The government is serious about the complaint of increasing obscene content on OTT. If there is a need to make any changes in the rules regarding this, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will not hesitate. Strict action will be taken to stop vulgarity and abusive language," Anurag tweeted.
He has also shared a clip from his recent press conference in Nagpur. In the video, Anurag reiterated that the government was serious about the matter. “These platforms were given freedom for creativity and not for obscenity and when one crosses the limit, then abusing, rudeness in the name of creativity cannot be accepted at all,” he said.
In 2020, the government brought the streaming platforms under the MIB's control. Until that point, the OTT sector remained outside the scope of government regulations. The growing popularity of streaming services gained massive momentum during the Covid-induced lockdown.
The minister added that as per the current framework, the complaints that rise from the content on OTT platforms will be first addressed by the producers. And the complaints that are not resolved are escalated to the government's consideration. "Somewhere, complaints have started increasing in the last few days and the department is taking it very seriously," he remarked.
Recently, Telugu star Rana Daggubati's maiden web series Rana Naidu sparked a lot of controversies over its mature themes. Even though the showrunners made it clear during the pre-release promotions that the series are meant for grown-ups and advised viewer decreation , many took exception to the foul language, sex scenes and nudity.