MIB Issues Latest Advisory For OTT Platforms Amid Content Regulation Debate

On February 19, 2025, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ("MIB") issued an advisory to Over-The-Top ("OTT") platforms and self-regulatory bodies of OTT platforms ("Advisory"), emphasizing the need to strictly adhere to the Indian laws and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 ("Intermediary Guidelines"). This Advisory follows the growing public concerns regarding the proliferation of obscene, pornographic and vulgar content on various OTT platforms and on social media.

The rapid increase of OTT platforms in India has revolutionized content consumption, offering audiences access to a diverse range of programming. The publication of media directly to online platforms bypasses the traditional methods by which the government seeks to regulate content broadcast in India, leading to concerns about the nature of the content being made available, with particular emphasis on material deemed inappropriate or