Online streaming content in India will continue to remain outside the jurisdiction of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on Wednesday.
Clarifying the government’s position in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan said the CBFC is a statutory body established under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, and its authority is limited to films released in cinemas.
Over-the-top (OTT) platforms, he said, are governed separately under Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Murugan told Parliament that under the IT Rules 2021, OTT platforms are required to follow a Code of Conduct. This includes a prohibition on publishing content barred by the government and a mandatory age-based classification for all films and shows, in line with prescribed guidelines.
He also outlined the three-tier grievance redressal mechanism applicable to digital platforms. At Level I, complaints are handled directly by the OTT platforms through self-regulation. If unresolved, grievances move to Level II, which involves self-regulating bodies set up by the platforms. Complaints that are not resolved at either stage are escalated to Level III, where the Central Government intervenes.
Murugan further informed the House that access to 43 OTT platforms has been disabled so far for exhibiting obscene content, which is prohibited under existing law.