The Centre has issued an order bringing online news portals and content providers under the Information and Broadcasting ministry. The notification, signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, was issued on Monday.
OTT platforms include news portals and also streaming services such as, Netflix, Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video, which are accessible over the internet.
The move comes at a time when there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content. Currently, there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content. The Press Council of India takes care of the print media while the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) keeps an eye on news channels, the Advertising Standards Council of India is for advertising while the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is for films.
The Information and Broadcasting ministry had earlier told the Supreme Court in a separate case that there is a need to regulate digital media and that the court may first appoint a committee as amicus (someone who is not a party to a case) before issuing guidelines with respect to the regulation of hate speech in the media.
