In this present scenario of global pandemic, everyone is now introduced to ott platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime and others. Till now these platforms are not under any government supervision.
But now, in a far reaching impact decision, the ott platforms will be under the government control, by ambit of ministry of information and broadcasting.
Currently, there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content. In a gazette notification issued on Wednesday and signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, online films, digital news and current affairs content now come under the purview of the I&B Ministry headed by Prakash Javadekar.
This will give the government control over OTT platforms, which were unregulated till now. From time to time, the government had indicated the necessity to monitor these platforms. In October 2019, the government had indicated that it will issue “negative” list of don’ts for the video streaming services like Netflix and Hotstar. It also wanted the platforms to come up with a self-regulatory body on the lines of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority.