Govt. Will Censor Netflix, Amazon Prime & Other OTTs

As per fresh reports coming in, Govt. of India will soon kickstart meetings with leading OTT players in India, and the reason is regulation and censorship of online streaming content.



If we believe the reports, then the Netflix show Leila can be the trigger which started this process, once again.



Govt Will Start Consultation For Online Censorship



As per officials from Govt. of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will soon start meetings with representatives from Hotstar, Voot, ZEE5, Arre, SonyLIV, ALTBalaji, Reliance Jio, Netflix and Eros Now, along with NGOs, lawyers, people from Google, Facebook and other digital media companies.



The proposal which will be discussed is censorship of online content, and how India can make this happen.



Unlike movies which are released in cinema halls, streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video doesn’t need a certification from Central Board of Film Certification.



But this soon change, as I&B minister Prakash Javadekar has confirmed that the meetings will soon start over online certification of digital content.



Leila Is The Trigger Of This New Consultation?



As per a report in ET, Netflix show Leila can be the trigger for this new round of consultation related with censorship of online content.



As per some insider reports, right-wing Hindu organizations such as RSS and VHP are pretty upset over the way Leila has shown Hindu religion, and its customs and rituals.



Leila has been described as “Hindu phobic” propaganda, and unnecessarily depicting Hindu traditions in a negative light.



An unnamed member of Sangh Parivar said, “It represents ancient Hindu concepts such as Aryavarta and Shuddhikaran as oppressive and dictatorial, suppressing women and restricting their reproductive rights. Nowhere in Hindu scriptures will you find such an occurrence, which is why we raised concerns about the series being defamatory and insulting,”



Besides Leila, shows such as The Final Call, Kafir and Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act too have been highlighted, as content which is fueling anti-Hindu sentiments.



There are as much as 9 PILs currently being read across various courts in India, and Supreme Court too is involved.



However, as we reported last month, there exists no law in India which can regulate digital content, and Govt now wants to change this.



We will keep you updated, as more details come in.