The government has informed Parliament that 73 complaints were received over the past three years regarding obscene and vulgar advertisements on private TV channels. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan explained that these complaints were addressed through a three-level grievance redress system, which includes self-regulation by broadcasters, self-regulating bodies, and an oversight mechanism by the central government. If any violations of the Advertising Code were found, actions such as advisories, warnings, and apology scrolls were issued.
In response to a separate question, Murugan also discussed the regulatory framework for Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms. These platforms are required to follow the Code of Ethics under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which are self-regulatory. The Code mandates that OTT platforms avoid transmitting unlawful content and implement age-based self-classification of their material into five categories, considering contemporary standards and the context of the content.
Additionally, Murugan emphasized that OTT platforms must ensure appropriate safeguards to restrict access to age-inappropriate content for children. The self-regulatory Code also ensures that publishers adhere to these standards while maintaining the freedom to categorize content according to the rules provided.
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