New Delhi, December 17 (UNI) Over-the-top (OTT) digital content will continue to remain outside the jurisdiction of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), with such platforms being regulated under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the government clarified on Tuesday.
Replying to questions in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L. Murugan clarified that the CBFC, a statutory body under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, is mandated solely to certify films intended for public exhibition in theatres and does not exercise authority over content streamed on digital platforms.
Murugan said OTT content falls under a separate regulatory framework outlined in Part III of the IT Rules, which provides for content oversight and grievance redressal through a three-tier institutional mechanism.
He explained that the Code of Ethics prescribed under the IT Rules mandates OTT platforms to ensure that content prohibited by law is not published and requires age-based classification of content in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the Rules.
The Minister further stated that the IT Rules, 2021 provide for a three-tier institutional mechanism to ensure compliance with content-related norms and to address public grievances. The first level involves self-regulation by the publishers themselves, followed by self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of the publishers at the second level.
At the third level, an oversight mechanism is exercised by the Central Government to ensure adherence to the prescribed norms. Dr. Murugan said that grievances related to OTT content are forwarded to the concerned platforms for appropriate action at Level I of the grievance redressal mechanism, which is based on self-regulation by the publishers.
