New Delhi, February 09: The year 2020 saw the rise of several Over The Top (OTT) platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, etc. As people stayed at home and cinemas remained shut, production houses chose to release some of their shows and movies on OTT platforms. Amid the growing popularity of these platforms, the government has shown concern over the kind of content available on OTT platforms.
The government will soon issue guidelines for regulation of Over The Top platforms that will address issues such as sensitive content, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Replying to a Zero Hour mention, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said a lot of suggestions and complaints on the regulation of OTTs have been received.
"Guidelines and direction are almost ready. It will be soon implemented," he said in his brief submission. Earlier, raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention, Mahesh Poddar of the BJP said the content and language on OTT platforms was discriminatory and offensive.
Objectional content on OTT platforms includes sexual discrimination and abusive language, he said adding that the government should, without delay, implement the Internet regulations. There are at least 40 OTT platforms, including global ones such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and HotStar (Disney Plus),and hundreds of news content websites. "It is an important issue. We get a lot of suggestions and complaints. Guidelines and directions are almost ready. It will be soon implemented," Javadekar said.
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