The Government of India (GoI) has brought online news portals, films and content providers under the Information and Broadcasting ministry.
In a gazette notification, dated November 9, the government declared that the President has given his assent to the order to include online films, digital news and current affairs content under the I&B Ministry, currently headed by Union minister Prakash Javadekar.
Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar will now be governed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. At present, there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content, reported Wion.com.
The Press Council of India takes care of the print media, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) monitors news channels, the Advertising Standards Council of India is for advertising while the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) takes care of films.
Last month, the Supreme Court had sought the centre’s response on a petition for regulating OTT platforms by an autonomous body. The top court issued notices to the centre, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Internet and Mobile Association of India.