Stakeholders asked to return copies of proposed broadcasting bill: Report
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has instructed stakeholders to return copies of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024, according to Moneycontrol. The bill, which was not publicly disclosed, had been shared with select stakeholders for review. However, today they were asked to return their physical copies of the draft without providing any feedback. The Modi government is reportedly 'reconsidering' provisions of the bill.
Regulating social media creators and influencers
The withdrawn bill aimed to include social media creators within the scope of broadcast regulation. It sought to categorize news influencers as digital news broadcasters and other creators as OTT Broadcasting Service. The draft bill mandated that within a month of this proposed law's notification, OTT broadcasting service providers and digital news broadcasters would have to inform the Union government about their operations.
Compliance requirements and concerns over freedom of speech
The bill also outlined several compliance requirements for creators, sparking fears about potential infringement on freedom of speech and censorship. This approach faced backlash from various groups who called on the government to make it public. The latest version of the bill could classify all online content creators as either OTT broadcasters or digital news broadcasters. These broadcasters would then have been required to establish a Content Evaluation Committee (CEC) to pre-certify content, among other things.
Bill's impact on advertising intermediaries
The bill also aimed to regulate advertising intermediaries and establish due diligence guidelines for intermediaries regarding programs broadcast through them. It is currently unclear whether the entire bill will be redrafted or if only specific sections will be revised from the latest draft. The MIB has not yet commented on this.
