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, said by senior government.
“OTT (over-the-top video streaming industry) 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,” Atul Kumar Tiwari, additional secretary, ministry of information and broadcasting, said at India Video 360-Broadcasting, Satellite & Telecoms, a conference organized by Hong Kong-based Asia Video Industry Association in New Delhi. Tiwari said 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. “We’ve 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. We recognize that the OTT format is different from cinema and television. But even the Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression subject to reasonable restrictions,” also said.
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