Union minister Prakash Javadekar, at a press conference on Thursday, said that Over The Top (OTT) and digital media publications should have a self-regulatory body to be headed by a retired judge. He also said social media intermediaries have to appoint a grievance officer, who shall register complaints in 24 hrs and redress them in 15 days.

The announcement was welcomed by some of the senior members of the film industry.

Director Anand Kumar, who has made the film ‘Zila Ghaziabad’, told OPOYI that this is a “welcome step by the government to control digital media and OTT platforms.”

“Anti-India elements were benefiting due to lack of rules for these mediums. Now with a clear mechanism and infrastructure, such organisations will have to act as per the law of land and it must be really tough for them. The new rules for Social Media and OTT will allow for better regulation and prevent its use by hostile interests. This is the first push to that end,” he said.

“We will have to see when the actual rules are released as to what can be modified. It’s too early to talk about what creativity we will have and also restrictions (sic),” he said.

When it comes to OTT, the Centre hat a three-tier system needs to be put in place, including disclosure, grievance redressal, self regulation. He said the Centre was not mandating registration.

Producer and senior film trade analyst Girish Johar says that since there were lots of issues being reported and lots of grievances being coming from the general public especially on social media with regards to the content being telecasted, broadcasted, or aired on OTT platforms so the government is trying to regulate in such a manner keeping free speech and free creativity in mind.

“The problem should not arise and if there has to be some kind of regulation so I think it’s a good move. Though they have just announced the policy couple of minutes ago so I am waiting for the official document of what the actual process would be but I am pretty much sure it would not limiting or curbing any creativity, which the makers or content creators have in mind. It would just to distinguish between the type of contents,” he said.

Johar also says that “the government is pretty much clear they are not going to take abuses and nudity specifically against women, which is on social media”.

“ .. they would want that to be curbed n so I think these are the certain things which no society would want. That’s pretty much the basic morality so I think it’s a good move,” he said.

The senior producer also says that there is so much trolling happening with fake I.D and people are hurling abuses and there are no tracks.

“Also there is fake news spreading like wildfire so I think it will bring these things in line,” he said adding that when it comes to OTT a broad classification will suffice just like Hollywood.

Vibhu Agarwal, CEO of OTT platform ULLU too welcomes  the new guidelines on OTT by the Union Ministry and will definitely agree and abide by it.

“However, I have realised that people will still not be silenced. In a country like India it is difficult to please everybody. However, being part of the industry we will adhere to the norms set out but request the ministry to then provide us their support, protection and surety if there are still questions raised at us,” he told Opoyi.

Filmmaker Rahul Mittra was of the opinion that just as news channels are regulated, not censored, the same could apply to OTT platforms and online news portals, “ but at the same time a filmmaker’s right to expression should not be comprised. And rather than having retired judges hope they involve younger lot who understand the need for creating clutter-free disruptive content.”