Page 60 - 31MAY2019E

Online media

streaming

platforms

lkely to

face curbs

Supreme Court issues notice to
Centre on a plea seeking framing
of guidelines by the government
to regulate the functioning of
platforms such as Netflix and
Amazon Prime Video,
reports tehelka bureau

he Supreme Court has asked affidavit filed before the high court on been broadcast, however, the petitioner
for the Centre’s response on a February 4. had also raised the contention that such
plea seeking guidelines to reg- “The said online platforms are dis- content must be certified by a certifying
ulate the functioning of online playing unlicenced, unregulated, uncer- body as the content on these web plat-
T media streaming platforms tified content and collecting subscrip- forms is broadcasted for consumption of
like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video tion amounts from Indian consumers general public,” the plea said.
which display “uncertified and sexually whereas the content telecasted on the The high court had not issued no-
explicit” content. A bench of Chief Justice online platforms is illegal to the extent tice on the NGO’s petition but had only
Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna that certain movies banned under the sought the government’s response on
issued notices to the ministries of broad- provisions of the Indian Cinematograph the plea which had also alleged that
casting, law and communications on an Act and not even passed by the Cen- the online media streaming platforms
appeal challenging the February 8 order tral Board for Film Certification but are show “uncertified, sexually explicit and
of the Delhi High Court order which had allowed to be telecasted for the general vulgar” content. In its plea in the high
dismissed it, media reports said. populace by bypassing the law of the court, the NGO had claimed that online
The high court had rejected the peti- land,” the plea said. media streaming platforms, that also
tion by NGO, Justice For Rights Founda- It added that due to lack of any licence include Hotstar, show content which is
tion, after the Ministry of Information or regulating body, the respondents via “unregulated and uncertified” for public
and Broadcasting had informed it that their inaction are creating a special class viewing.
online platforms are not required to of broadcasters and therefore discrimi- The plea had claimed in the high
obtain any licence from it. The plea, filed nating against the customers, regular court that television series like Sacred
through advocate H S Hora in the apex movie producers, Cable-TV operators Games, Game of Thrones and Spartacus,
court, said these online web platforms and D2H operators. “The impugned judg- shown on platforms like Netflix, contain
are functioning in India without obtain- ment of February 8 (of high court) only “vulgar, profane, sexually explicit, porno-
ing licence which has been admitted presents the petitioner with remedies graphic, morally unethical and virulent”
by the ministries concerned in their that are available after the content has content which often “depict women

Tehelka / 31 may 2019 60 www.Tehelka.com