‘Exercise warning’: Centre’s advisory to OTT platforms amid ‘India’s Got Latent’ row | India News

NEW DELHI: The ministry of data and broadcasting has issued an advisory to OTT platforms urging stricter age-based classification of content material and compliance with the Information Technology (IT) Rules 2021.
The advisory comes shut on the heels of row over an episode of YouTube present ‘India’s Got Latent’ by Samay Raina, that includes podcaster and influencer, Ranveer Allahbadia, who made an “inappropriate” remark throughout his visitor look.
The advisory outlined six key factors aimed toward on-line content material publishers and self-regulatory our bodies of OTT platforms, emphasising adherence to present legal guidelines and moral pointers.
“This ministry has received references from Hon’ble Members of Parliament, representations from statutory organizations and public grievances regarding alleged spread of obscene, pornographic and vulgar content published by certain publishers of online curated content (OTT platforms) and Social Media,” the ministry mentioned in its advisory.

“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 Code of Ethics, inter-alia, requires OTT platforms not to transmit any content which is prohibited by law, undertake age-based classification of content, based on general guidelines provided in the Schedule to the Rules, implementation of access control mechanism for ‘A’ rated content to restrict access to such content by a child, and also exercise due caution and discretion,” it added.
YouTube eliminated the controversial episode following an order from the central authorities. ‘India’s Got Latent,’ which premiered in June 2024, has aired 18 episodes to this point.