GOVT TO GOVERN OTT PLATFORMS

Subject : Current events

Context : In a gazette notification issued on Wednesday and signed by the President Ram Nath Kovind, online films, digital news and current affairs content now come under the purview of the I&B Ministry, headed by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.

Concept :

• Currently, there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content.
• Anticipating the government’s intervention in January 2019, eight video streaming services had signed a self-regulatory code that laid down a set of guiding principles for the content on these platforms.
• The code adopted by the OTTs in January last prohibited five types of content, including content which deliberately and maliciously disrespects the national emblem or flag and any visuals or story lines that promotes child pornography.

Over the Top Platform

• An “over-the-top” media service is any online content provider that offers streaming media as a standalone product. The term is commonly applied to video-on-demand platforms, but also refers to audio streaming, messaging services, or internet-based voice calling solutions.
• OTT services circumvent traditional media distribution channels such as telecommunications networks or cable television providers.
• As long as you have access to an internet connection — either locally or through a mobile network — you can access the complete service at your leisure.