OTTs get 15 days to comply with India's new rules

The Centre has given 15 days to video-streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and digital news platforms to comply with the new rules for the sector that came into effect on Wednesday.Three months after they were notified, the I&B ministry on Thursday asked digital players to respond within 15 days with specific information on their board of directors, content heads or news editors, details of grievance redressal offices in India and the self-regulatory body that they are part of.The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has requested the government to “exempt and exclude” the traditional TV news media and its extended presence on the digital platforms from the ambit of the IT Rules 2021. The NBA said in a press release on Thursday that the sector has “enough safeguards” and is sufficiently regulated by various statutes, laws, guidelines and codes, regulations, and judgements.On February 25, the Centre had brought in new norms under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, according to which social media companies, streaming platforms — popularly known as over-the-top (OTT) services — and digital news publishers were put under a three-tier regulatory regime with government oversight.Experts have warned that the rules can have far-reaching consequences on online privacy, freedom of speech and creativity.In its public notice, the I&B ministry has listed a format in which traditional media with a digital presence, video streaming platforms and fully digital news sites will have to furnish details.The ministry said that since notifying the rules, it has “established communication” with many digital media publishers and their associations. It added that around 60 publishers and their associations have already initiated the process of forming self-regulatory bodies.While OTT platforms have been specifically asked to send details about content managers, digital news sites have been told to submit information about news editors.As per ministry sources, since traditional media also have digital arms and are already registered under the press Act and uplinking rules, they have been exempted from submitting details of their companies.Kaushik Moitra, partner at law firm Bharucha & Partners, told ET that the notice is in line with the new rules, and while the guidelines have been contested in various courts, they have not been stayed or overruled.While digital news players have formed at least two associations among themselves as the ministry had asked for, two digital news outlets have filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging these rules, claiming they go “completely” against freedom of the press.

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