Centre unveils new guidelines to regulate OTT platforms, online news media

New Delhi, February 25: In a bid to control the content on the OTT platforms, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar on Thursday unveiled the new policies for digital media.While addressing the press conference Javdekar said that the new rules have been announced by the center to “establish a soft touch progressive institutional mechanism with a level playing field featuring a Code of Ethics and a three-tier grievance redressal framework for news publishers and OTT platforms on the digital media.”

 

 

 

 

 

As per the information given by the ministry, the OTTs will need to grade age-appropriate content. This classification will be divide into five age-based categories. The five categories are U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+, and A (Adult).' The ministry further added that there has to be a mechanism of parental lock and ensuring compliance that children don't see that.

 

The ministry has ordered the OTT platforms to display the classification rating specific to each content or program together with a content descriptor informing the user about the nature of the content. The OTT platforms have also asked to display reliable age verification mechanisms for content classified as “A".

 

According to the ministry's notice, the publisher of online curated content shall prominently display the classification rating specific to each content or program together with a content descriptor informing the user about the nature of the content, and advising on viewer description (if applicable) at the beginning of every program enabling the user to make an informed decision, before watching the program.

 

Apart from OTT the government also released the new rules for Online News Media. As per the new rules, publishers of news on digital media would be required to observe Norms of Journalistic Conduct of the Press Council of India and the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act that shall provide a level playing field between the offline (Print, TV) and digital media.

 

 

 

 

 

Further, the publisher shall appoint a Grievance Redressal Officer based in India who shall be responsible for the redressal of grievances received by it. The officer shall decide on every grievance received within 15 days.

 

There may be one or more self-regulatory bodies of publisher headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court, a High Court, or independent eminent person and have not more than six members. It will address grievances that have not to be been resolved by the publisher within 15 days.

 

 

 

Moreover, the three-level grievance redressal mechanism has also been established under the rules with different levels of self-regulation. (also for Online News Media)

 

 

The grievance redressal mechanism and the self-regulatory body will follow similar systems and guidelines as applied to the online news media.

 

The ministry has notified the rules under section 87 of the Information Technology Act. These Rules empower the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to implement Part-III.

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