MIB reiterates its inclination toward self regulation in OTT

The ministry of information and broadcasting will look after curated content on video streaming platforms while the ministry of information technology (IT) will take care of broader user-generated content and social media.

OTT is a strange animal but our self-regulation model will only apply to curated content on streaming platforms (like Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar, and others) while user-generated content and social media would be the reserve of the IT Ministry, observed Atul Kumar Tiwari, additional secretary, ministry of information and broadcasting. Tiwari added that both the ministry of information and broadcasting and IT were working together to ensure that online and offline curated video content is looked at by MIB.

The ministries had discussions with many stakeholders in the OTT space and are trying to reach a model that is agreeable to both the government and other members of society. The ministries recognize that the OTT format is different from cinema and television. But even the Indian constitution guarantees freedom of expression subject to reasonable restrictions.