Supreme Court rejects plea for regulatory body on OTT platforms

The Supreme Court on Friday, October 18, dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the creation of a regulatory body to oversee content on over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, expressed concern over the growing number of PILs focusing on policy matters, stating, "This is the problem of PILs. They are all on policy now, and we miss our genuine PILs."

The petition, filed by advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, argued that OTT platforms operate without the same oversight that films and television are subjected to, leading to the unchecked distribution of explicit content, violence, and substance abuse without proper warnings. 

Jha claimed that current self-regulatory mechanisms, such as the IT Rules 2021 introduced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, have been ineffective in curbing harmful content.

The plea highlighted concerns about the potential national security implications of unregulated digital content, citing issues like the promotion of gambling, drugs, and other prohibited substances.

Jha called for a regulatory board similar to those governing traditional media, suggesting that such a body should include representatives from fields like cinema, law, defence, and education, and be headed by a high-ranking IAS officer.