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Netflix, Disney and Amazon will fight with the government, ready to challenge this new rule

Newztezz Online June 03, 2023 Business,

OTT is the new way of entertainment nowadays. People can watch great and good content on OTT platforms like Netflix, Disney Hotstar and Amazon without any hindrance. But now all these streaming companies are planning to challenge a rule of the government. Read this news...Earlier this week, the Ministry of Family Health and Welfare issued a directive for OTT platforms. According to this, a statutory warning 'Cigarette smoking / tobacco consumption is injurious to health' is to be inserted on the scenes of smoking in the content on the platform.

Not only this, companies also have to put an 'anti-tobacco disclaimer' of at least 50 seconds in the beginning and middle of the content available on the OTT platform. It also includes audio-visual disclaimer. For this, OTT companies have got 3 months time, and this order has become a headache for them.

Closed doors meeting of companies

According to media reports, Netflix, Disney, Amazon and Viacom 18 (a Reliance group company) have held a closed door meeting regarding this order. Senior officials of the companies were present in this meeting held on Friday. Discussions took place between the companies about the possibility of challenging this order legally.

According to Reuters news, it was also discussed among the companies whether they could get any relief from the Ministry of Information Technology and Broadcasting, as OTT platforms come under their purview.

This is the reason for the trouble of OTT platforms

According to this new guideline, OTT platforms will have to re-edit their existing content to include disclaimers. Reviewing and editing millions of hours of content and putting disclaimers is very costly and time consuming. That's why companies are looking for its alternative.

At present, all the films that get certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification have to put such a disclaimer. At the same time, it is mandatory to give 'anti-tobacco' disclaimer on TV.