Government Calls for Stronger Laws to Curb Pornographic Content on Social Media and OTT Platforms

Amidst the uproar in the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Arun Govil raised the issue of pornographic content on social media and OTT platforms during the Question Hour. Responding to Arun Govil's question, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said in the Lok Sabha that the government's efforts to stop pornographic content on social media and OTT platforms require strengthening existing laws. There is a lot of difference between the culture of our country and the culture of those countries where pornographic content comes on OTT.

Ashwini Vaishnav said that I would like the Standing Committee to take up this issue. The existing law needs to be strengthened and I request a consensus on this. The minister said that pornographic content is also run on social media.

The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister said that earlier there used to be an editorial team to publish anything. Because of this, no pornographic content was published. Which is not there now. Ashwini Vaishnav's statement comes a month after his deputy L Murugan confirmed that the government is drafting a new policy to regulate OTT content.

Let us tell you that in August last year, the government had also told the Delhi High Court that its policy governing social media platforms and intermediaries would include necessary rules and regulations to ensure that social media is free from hate speech and profanity.

The court had said that the challenge faced by India, like many other countries, needs immediate attention to formulate appropriate laws, guidelines and rules to regulate content on social media and OTT platforms.