EXCLUSIVE: Parliamentary Committee, MIB meet stakeholders; discuss vulgarity in OTT content

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology convened at 3 PM today to engage with multiple stakeholders on the regulation of content on OTT platforms. The committee deliberated on concerns regarding the vulgarity of content streamed on these platforms. Industry bodies will now meet OTT platforms responsible in creating content to address the issues raised by the government.

The committee invited three industry organizations—the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA), and the Motion Picture Association (MPA)—to discuss challenges related to OTT content. The committee plans to reconvene for further discussions and to seek solutions from stakeholders.

The meeting was chaired by Nishikant Dubey, with presence of other included Members of Parliament Priyanka Chaturvedi, S. Niranjan Reddy, and Karthikeya Sharma, in attendance. Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Prasoon Joshi, Chairperson of the CBFC; Uday Singh, Managing Director of the MPA; and Abhay Sinha, President of the IMPPA, spoke extensively about addressing vulgarity in content. The two hour long meeting started at 3pm.

An industry representative present at the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, remarked, "The committee raised an important issue about vulgar content on OTT platforms. We will engage with content creators across all platforms to discuss and find a solution."

The representative further added, "Involving OTT platforms is essential to effectively manage and control vulgar content. The committee also highlighted that 18 OTT platforms were banned in 2024 due to explicit content. The government is pretty serious to address the issue of vulgar content available on OTT platforms. We will meet the OTT platforms and discuss the issue and suggest a solution to the committee."

Earlier in March, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting blocked 18 OTT platforms for publishing obscene, vulgar, and in some cases, pornographic content. The banned platforms included Neufliks, X Prime, Besharams, Mood X, and Prime Play. Additionally, the government disabled public access to 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on Google Play Store and 3 on Apple App Store), and 57 social media accounts linked to these platforms.

Storyboard18 had earlier reported that OTT platforms strongly opposed content censorship, arguing that new regulations in this rapidly growing sector could impede progress and discourage investment.

An OTT platform representative, speaking anonymously, stated, "Regulations designed for traditional media cannot be applied to OTT, which is a modern, online curated content medium. Investments in original local content have grown significantly, with over 50% of entertainment spending directed toward pay TV, excluding movies and sports."

OTT platforms have argued that they already operate under self-regulation, with strict parental control measures and content designed to adhere to established standards. They claim additional regulations would complicate business operations and hinder the sector’s growth.