I&B Ministry considering the distribution of Dish STBs

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communication and Information Technology has asked the Information & Broadcasting Ministry whether the existing legal framework is ample enough to deal with the issue of adult content being shown by OTT platforms.

“The Committee would like to know whether the existing Legal Framework is ample enough to deal with this issue or more stringent laws are required to deal with this issue especially in view of the latest technologies in the field. The Committee may be informed of the contemplated action by the Ministry in this regard. The Committee would like to advise the Ministry that provision for some sort of deterrent punishment should be put in place for the repeated offenders in this regard,” according to a report tabled in the Parliament.

Use of AI
It has also asked Ministry for details on whether AI and such tools are being used to “strictly” deal with OTT platforms that are committing the same mistake under the guise of changing the name of programmes, changing the means of dissemination and changing the IP address with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are strictly dealt with.

The Ministry informed the Committee that Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, relates to publishers of online curated content, commonly known as OTT platforms.

In March 2024, the Ministry had blocked 18 OTT platforms publishing obscene, and, in some instances, pornographic content. Also, 19 websites, 10 apps, and 57 social media accounts associated with these platforms were disabled for public access in India. The Committee has now asked the Ministry to furnish the details of preventive measures adopted so that the ““pervasion of restricted contents among children be stopped. It has also asked whether the blocked OTT platforms, apps and sites are easily available on social media and other media platforms like Telegram Channel and how it is being dealt with.

The Standing Committee has also sought details of measures that have been taken to curb the explicit circulation of films not meant for viewership of children in any form in the market. It has also asked for details of steps taken to prevent airing of adult contents on Social, Digital and Electronic media and action taken against the channels which are violating the norms laid down in the Cinematography (Amendment) Act, 2023.

The Information & Broadcasting Ministry is considering distribution of DD Free Dish Set-Top-Boxes in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and modalities of the distribution are being worked out by Prasar Bharati.

“Consultations are also being done with the Ministry of Home Affairs to collect the beneficiary bank details and finalize payment eligibility criteria for the beneficiaries,” the report noted. Prasar Bharati is also in consultation with industry bodies to ensure availability of DD Free Dish Set-Top Boxes in remote border areas and arrangement of installation and after-sales services of the Set-Top Boxes. This is being done to enhance the viewership and popularization of DD Free Dish Platform in VVP (Vibrant Village Programme) areas, BADP (Border Area Development Programme), North-East Region, LWE (Left Wing Extremism) affected areas, J&K, and other strategic areas. The Hindu BusinessLine