Background on OTT Regulation in India
OTT platforms are also called ‘publishers of online curated content’. The content includes audio, and video like movies, web series, podcasts etc. It is mostly available to users on demand. India will emerge as the world’s sixth-largest OTT service provider by 2024.
In India, most of the OTT platforms have gone for a self-regulation approach to ensure responsible content practice. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has established a Digital Content Complaint Council (DCCC) that addresses content-related grievances. However, due to the absence of specific and detailed rules Union Government disapproved of this code formed by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), and Digital Curated Content Complaints Council (DCCC) and decided to bring OTT platforms and their censorship authority under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Guidelines Issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB)
In November 2020, various guidelines were released by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to regulate digital content, including OTT platforms. These guidelines were provided to bring digital media platforms under the same regulatory framework as traditional media. Some important points were:
- Self classify content into five age based categories: U(universal), U/A7+(years), U/A 13+,U/A 16+, and A.
- Parental lock for any content classified as U/A 13+ and above.
- To establish grievance redressal mechanism.
- Age verification mechanism for content classified as ‘A’ (adult).
In February 2022, to regulate OTT platform the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 was released by the government. The rule included self-regulatory system for the OTT platforms, including three-step process for addressing complaints and Code of Ethics.
OTT Full Form
OTT Full Form: OTT is the services that offer viewers access to movies, TV shows, web series, and other media directly through the Internet, bypassing cable or satellite systems. They can be accessed through internet-connected devices like computers, smartphones, set-top boxes, and smart TVs. In India’s regulatory system, they are called ‘publishers of online curated content’.
OTT platforms include services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Sony Liv, Disney+, Hulu, etc. The content available is not free and one has to pay a subscription fee for it. Recently OTT was in the news on a regulatory mechanism for over-the-top (OTT) communication services, that is whether OTT services should be regulated or be let to continue to operate as it is.
In this article, we will discuss the full form of OTT, its background, regulation, pros and cons, etc.
Table of Content
- OTT Full Form
- Background on OTT Regulation in India
- Need for Regulating OTT Platforms
- Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023
- Pros and Cons of OTT Platform
- Challenges in Regulating OTT Platform
- Way Forward – OTT Full Form
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