Govt brings digital news, OTT platforms under I&B’s watch

MOVING TO bring within its purview all digital platforms that can be accessed in India, the Government has ordered that online media, including entertainment, film and news platforms, will now come under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The order, which was signed by President Ram Nath Kovind on November 9 and published by the Cabinet Secretariat Tuesday, covers “Digital/ Online Media”, including “films and audio-visual programmes made available by online content providers” and “news and current affairs content on online platforms”.

Online content providers, such as Netflix, Amazon and Hotstar, and news platforms, come under the legal framework of the Information Technology Act, 2000 but, unlike print and broadcast media, were not directly under any Ministry.