A DIGITAL DISQUIET
On November 9, the Union government, through a gazette notification, brought “films and audio-visual programmes made available by online content providers and news and current affairs programmes on online platforms” within the ambit of the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry. This means OTT (Over the Top) platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar, and any digital media, including social media platforms, that publish or stream news and current affairs will now be monitored by the I&B ministry. So far, these fell in the domain of the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY).
While, for now, the move brings little change to how digital media and OTT platforms function—except the change in the supervising ministry—industry observers argue this could have a far-reaching impact on media freedom and creative expression. These apprehensions grew when, a week after the notification,
