What happened
The Union Government has said that it disabled 50 OTT platforms in India over the last two years. The stated reasons were obscene content and violations of Section 67 and Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
The information was given in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L. Murugan, in response to a written question.
Background and earlier position
The Union Government notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 on 25 February 2021 under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The rules created an institutional framework for publishers of digital news and current affairs and for publishers of online curated content, including OTT platforms.
Part III of the 2021 Rules lays down a Code of Ethics for digital news publishers and OTT platforms. The Government also relies on Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which allows notification to intermediaries for removing or disabling access to unlawful content.
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