Exclusive: India, concerned about obscenity, asks streamers to verify content

NEW DELHI, July 14 (Reuters) – India has told Netflix (NFLX.O)Disney (DIS.N) and other streaming services that their content must be independently reviewed for obscenity and violence before being shown online, according to a government document and sources.

The proposal was delivered to the streaming platforms at a meeting on June 20 at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Broadcasting companies, also known as OTT platforms, objected and no decision was reached, according to government minutes of the talks and an industry source who attended.

The ministry “highlighted concerns about obscene and vulgar content on OTT platforms, expressed by members of parliament, citizens’ groups and the general public,” said the record, which was not public but was seen by Reuters.

Netflix and Amazon have become very popular in India, which is set to grow to be a $7 billion market for the sector by 2027, according to Media Partners Asia.

Bollywood’s top stars appear in online material, some of which has faced criticism from lawmakers and the public for scenes deemed vulgar or offensive to religious sentiments.

Although all movies in Indian theaters are reviewed and certified by a government-appointed board, aired content is not.

Officials at the meeting asked the industry to consider an independent panel to review content so inappropriate material can be removed, two people who attended said.

The industry objected, but officials asked them to consider the idea, they added.

The government stressed the need for a “more proactive approach” to ensure that broadcast content, “including international content,” aligns with the so-called code of ethics, the minutes showed.

That code already requires providers to be careful about content that could incite violence or be religiously sensitive.

The meeting was attended by Amazon (AMZN.O)Disney, Netflix, Reliance’s (RELI.NS) transmission unit, Viacom18 and Apple (AAPL.O) TELEVISION.

The companies and the ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

‘SPREAD VULGARITY’

The discussions point to increasing scrutiny of India’s fast-growing broadcast market.

The proposal also comes as streaming giants protest a government order to add 50-second tobacco health warnings to every piece of content; and two years after India mandated the creation of self-regulatory bodies for complaints about streaming content.

Industry executives say India’s broadcast regulations are among the strictest in the world.

At an event in April, when the government agreed to partner with Amazon to promote film and television, Broadcasting and Information Minister Anurag Thakur said streaming platforms “should not spread vulgarity and abuse disguised as creative expression.”

Thakur said complaints about obscene content were on the rise and the government was willing to change regulations if necessary to address the problem.

Indian officials also proposed at the meeting the formation of a panel of experts to set age rankings, rather than the platforms doing it themselves, one attendee said.

The platforms said they would ensure strong parental controls and “particular care would be taken with regard to the suitability of international content,” the minutes showed.

Suhasini Maniratnam of the Digital Publisher Content Grievance Council told the meeting that prior censorship could hurt industry growth and cost jobs, and that given the high volume of content “specific action is needed” against obscene and vulgar content.

Reporting by Aditya Kalra in New Delhi and Munsif Vengattil in Bangalore; edited by Robert Birsel

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