Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, OTT platforms over regulation of obscene content
PTC News Desk: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, OTT and social media platforms on a PIL seeking direction to take appropriate steps to prohibit the streaming of obscene content.
The top court was hearing plea filed seeking regulation of obscene content, while emphasising the need for stricter rules and a ban on such content. A bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih issued notices to OTT platforms Netflix, Amazon Prime AltBalaji, Ullu Digital, Mubi, and social media platforms X Corp, Google, Meta Inc and Apple.
The court observed, "This petition raises an important concern with regard to the display of various objectionable, obscene and indecent contents on OTT platforms and social media," adding, "The Solicitor General (SG) fairly states that content go to the extent of perversity."
During the hearing, SG Tushar Mehta told the bench, "Some content is perverted to an extent that even two respectable men can't sit together and watch. Condition is 18 must not watch. But there cannot be censorship. There are some regulations in place, some are in contemplation."
In response, the Centre asserted that some of the regulations regarding the content on OTT platforms are already in place and future regulations are being worked out.
The petitioners said they are compelled to raise this matter due to the rampant availability of pornographic, obscene, and sexually deviant content across digital platforms. "The unchecked circulation of such material, including child pornography and softcore adult content, has contributed to a rising trend of crimes against women and children while negatively shaping the psychological development of young minds," it said.
- With inputs from agencies
