Self-regulation by OTT Platforms- A Move Forward or Backward?

With the OTT game getting strong each day, debates on its controversial content have stemmed quite a few point of views. Should these platforms enjoy absolute freedom in the content they stream or steer a middle course and work under set guidelines, here’s what we think!

It is quite evident that movies and television are falling prey to the unabating popularity of OTT platforms- the biggest success story in the Indian entertainment industry. With top stars joining the bandwagon (Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Vicky Kaushal, Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar and many more), the medium is receiving a huge boost, where everyone wants to explore this new world of content. Going by FICCI’s report, while cinema and TV segments grew by 12 percent over the previous year, OTT usage increased by almost 42 percent in 2018.

Despite having a clear and almost impermeable boundary between the films and TV (in terms of content, performers and audience), these OTT platforms are taking the ecosystem by a storm. Not denying the growing popularity of this emerging medium, it has also opened up infinite opportunities for filmmakers to enter newer avenues. They have begun experimenting with different show formats, reach and of course, content.

With content being the premise of the whole digital entertainment landscape, it is particularly interesting to understand how content and the whole content industry will be affected under the umbrella of self-censorship.

Why Does the Audience Turn up to OTT Platforms?

Undoubtedly, OTT shows deliver distinct ideas that have been missing from the mainstream media platforms. Writers and content creators have come up with some of the most unthinkable story ideas when not cloaked under the definition of censorship. Talking about some of the most striking OTT shows like Sacred Games, Inside Edge, Made In Heaven, Mirzapur, Four More Shots Please!, Karenjit Kaur: The Untold Story, etc., the narratives of social, political, religious and sexual inhibitions have been shed.

This enables the audience to turn up to this space since they wish to explore newer contents and formats. They are exposed to distinct content pieces that otherwise come under the realms of ‘inappropriate content’ and are subject to censorship.

Speaking on the same lines, Ali Hussein, COO, Eros Digital comments, “The beauty of the digital medium and the on-demand nature of the OTT service is that ability to “pull” content as per one’s individual choice and discretion. This gives the ability to both creators, performers and various contributors to reach a much larger audience. We have also seen the OTT platform enables creators to expand their genres and experiment with storytelling as well as techniques which are restricted in the traditional media.”

However, this doesn’t necessarily go well with all. Questions on the appropriateness of content have been raised, making way for the introduction of self-censorship.

Need for Self-Censorship

Today’s audience wants to see the content in an unadulterated and uncensored form. They want to appreciate an artist’s work in its purest form. However, with questions being raised, all major players (Netflix, Eros Now, Hotstar, SonyLIV, Jio, Amazon Prime, etc.) agreed on a self-imposed censorship code that prohibits them from showing banned content on their platform. This has been drafted by The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), along with a redressal mechanism for customer complaints.

This code will help the platforms conduct themselves in a responsible and transparent manner and ensure that the audience interest is protected. Further, it will respect the creative freedom of content creators by fostering innovation and abiding by an individual’s freedom of speech and expression. The idea was to avoid any other entity calling the shots on censorship.

Commenting on the same, Uday Sodhi, Head of Digital Business at Sony Pictures Networks says, “OTT platforms have agreed to self-regulation of content on OTT platforms. This means we will be rating the content being shown on OTT platforms and to provide better information to users about what to expect from the show. Besides this, content that is illegal and harmful as per the current laws of the land will not be available on OTT platforms. There is also a mechanism to ensure consumers can report any content that they believe is not as per guidelines.”

How We See It

Like we mentioned above, content forms the premise of these OTT platforms. It is the first thing that draws the audience here. In our opinion, self-censorship and self-regulation don’t stem from societal ethics but are motivated by fear (of state, authority and self-appointed defenders of morality).

Hussein also holds the same views and expresses, “Censorship is not relevant in the on-demand space as there is scope to choose one’s place of viewing and time of access to content, unlike linear broadcast.”

We have all seen censorship’s grip on traditional platforms- TV, radio, newspapers, etc. A lot has been said and done in the name of public sentiments. However, in the case of OTT platforms, that are still making their way in the Indian market, self-censorship may lead to delaying its success journey. OTT will lose its enigma even before it rises. Indianizing content is fine but let it not dilute the whole spirit of the medium in the name of bringing out appropriate content. The essence of the content will be lost and some of the future implications would include a decline in viewership and apprehension on the part of international players to enter the Indian market.

We also feel that it is unfair for a body comprising of a handful of people to decide the suitability of the content on behalf of everyone.

This topic rather leaves us with a lot of questions in head- how do the authorities gather and evaluate such public sentiments? Can there ever be an end to censorship? What good is it doing to the industry? Is the pressure of self-censorship on OTT platforms a result of TV lobbying?

All we can say is, in the end, it is the content that loses the battle! Censoring the web is censoring information. Put regulations in terms of who can watch a particular type of content rather than carrying a half-baked idea!