Ministries differ over regulating OTT platforms

Key ministries are split over the issue of whether to regulate over-the-top (OTT) players, or apps, such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have backed the idea of regulating OTTs, or apps, from the perspective of national security and public safety. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) is against any kind of regulation at this stage.

The ministries have submitted these views as part of a consultation process undertaken by the DoT over the issue of regulating apps.