Supreme Court seeks Centre’s response on OTT content regulation petition
The Supreme Court has addressed a petition concerning objectionable content on OTT platforms and social media, issuing notices to the Centre and major tech companies. The petition seeks government action, potentially including a panel to oversee c...
One journalist Uday Mahurkar and four others, have sought a direction to the government to form a panel headed by a retired apex court judge to oversee and certify for the publishing, streaming of movies, shows, web series on OTT platforms and social media on the lines of Central Board of Film Certification until an appropriate law for regulating such streaming is enacted.
A Bench led by Justice BR Gavai while observing that the petition “raises an important concern regarding the display of various objectionable, obscene and indecent content” sought response from Netflix, Amazon Seller Services, Meta Platforms, INC, Google LLC, Apple Inc, X Corp and others.
While Justice Gavai said that these OTT and social media platforms "also have a responsibility,” he, however, wished to avoid encroaching on the domains of the executive or the legislature.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that “some of the content is so perverted that even two respectable men would find it uncomfortable to sit together and watch. Although there is a guideline that the content is meant for 18+ audiences, there cannot be censorship. Some regulations exist, and more are being contemplated."
Justice Gavai said that it was either for legislature or executive to regulate such contents. "As it is, we are facing allegations of encroaching into legislative or executive domain. Anyways, we will issue a notice," the Judge said, while noting the Mehta's statement that some regulations were in existence and some more were being contemplated by the government.
Counsel Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for petitioners, said the content floating in the social media was without any restriction and called for the establishment of a National Content Control Authority to monitor and regulate content, and for guidelines to curb obscenity on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Netflix.
The five petitioners, while seeking guidelines to constitute an authority to prohibit online dissemination of obscene content claimed there were pages and profiles on social media sites sharing pornographic material without any filter and various OTT platforms were streaming content having potential elements of child pornography.
“Such sexually deviant material pollute the minds of youth, children and even grown up persons which gives rise to perverted and unnatural sexual tendencies thereby leading to an increase in the crime rate,” it said.
It also sought a panel of psychologists recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India and other experts to conduct a nationwide study and submit a report on the adverse impact of sexually explicit content on people.
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