New Delhi: Amid the ongoing ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy, the Centre on Wednesday issued an advisory for social media channels and OTT platforms on adherence to Indian Laws and the Code of Ethics prescribed under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The development came amid a controversy over alleged vulgar remarks made by podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia during an episode of Samay Raina’s stand-up comedy show ‘India’s Got Latent’. The episode was published on YouTube. Later the government ordered its removal from the platform.
What Ministry Said In Its Notification?
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in its notification said that it had received complaints about the “alleged spread of obscene, pornographic and vulgar content published by certain publishers of online curated content (OTT platforms) and Social Media.”
“In this regard it is stated that Part-IIl of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, interalia, provide for a Code of Ethics for OTT platforms, and a three level institutional mechanism for redressal of grievances relating to violation of the Code of Ethics,” the notification read.
As per the ministry, the requires OTT platforms not to transmit any content which is prohibited by law, and undertake age-based classification of content. The ministry also suggested that social media should implement an access control mechanism for ‘A’ rated content to restrict access to such content by a child, and also exercise due caution and discretion.
For OTT platforms, the ministry, in its notification, said, “Further, the Rules provide that the Self-regulatory Bodies of OTT platforms shall oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence by the OTT platforms to the Code of Ethics.”
“Attention is also invited to the provisions of Indecent Representation of Women Act, 1986, Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), 2023, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSQ) Act, and Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 wherein publication of obscene/pornographic content is a punishable offence,” the notification read.
Supreme Court On Ranveer Allahabadia:
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court asked about the government’s view in regulating obscene content on popular video-sharing platform YouTube. The top court made an observation about regulating obscene content on the platform while it heard Allahbadia’s plea to club all FIRs against him.
Supreme Court bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said that it would be ‘very happy’ if there were plans on the part on the government to regulate content on YouTube. “YouTubers are misusing the lack of regulation,” the bench observed.
The top court also provided relief to Ranveer Allahbadia by staying his arrest. However, the top court lashed out at the YouTuber in some very strong words. The court deemed Allahbadia’s words and mind to be ‘perverted’
“If this is not obscenity, then what is obscenity? There is something very dirty in his mind, which has been vomited by him in the program… He is insulting parents also. Why should the Courts favour him?,” Justice Kant asked. However, the court asked him to cooperate with the investigation fully. He has also been barred from taking part in similar shows for now.
Allahbadia has been asked to submit his passport to the police and he cannot leave the country without consent of the court.
All About The Controversy:
It all began after Ranveer Allahbadia, who was one of the judges in the episode, asked a contestant, “Would you rather watch your parents have s#x for the rest of your life, or would you join in once and stop it forever?”
Samay and Apoorva Mukhija were seen laughing at the supposed joke, and they too were seen using abusive language throughout the episode. This did not go down well with netizens and they slammed the creators for promoting vulgarity online.
