KOLKATA: The social media-Indian government tussle regarding compliance of new IT rules has hogged all the limelight lately. Along with these platforms, digital media, OTT platforms were also given a three-month window to comply with a new set of rules.
The digital media division of the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has sent a notice to digital media publishers seeking information under Rule 18 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Codes) Rules, 2021.
The ministry has asked publishers to furnish information in the applicable format within 15 days of the notice as different formats were devised for traditional media publishing news and current affairs on digital media, pure-play digital publishers, and OTT platforms.
A total of around 60 publishers, and their associations, have also informed the ministry that they have already initiated the process of formation of self-regulatory bodies under the new rules. Some publishers have also written to the ministry regarding registration with the ministry under the rules, MIB noted in its missive.
The notice highlighted that the ministry held interactions with the publishers of online curated content, as well as the publishers of news on digital media duly after notifying the new rules.
Meanwhile, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has written to MIB requesting exclusion of traditional television news media and its extended presence on digital news platforms from the aforementioned rules, as per reports.
“While NBA appreciates the need for regulations, the traditional news media need not be subjected to and/ or covered under the scope of the IT Rules 2021, since it is already sufficiently regulated by various statutes, laws, guidelines and codes, regulations, and judgments set," NBA said in a letter.
The electronic news media is no different from print media and majority of content hosted on their digital platforms is nothing but a replica of content which is already a part of the broadcast, the body argued.
