The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is once again testing whether India’s OTT oversight needs a firmer legal base. In recent talks with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), officials have discussed three routes: amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952; amend the IT Act, 2000; or write a fresh statute for streaming content. MediaNama has not located any public draft yet.
Complaint volume is driving the rethink
MIB officials say the ministry has fielded more than 1,000 representations a month for the past six months asking for tighter oversight. They describe the asks as complaints about obscenity and vulgarity, among other concerns. That volume, reported by NDTV, is being treated as the prompt for the latest regulatory review.
“The representations include asking for regulation on the basis of obscenity, vulgarity, among others,” an official told NDTV.
A parliamentary committee had also flagged regulatory gaps in March 2026, though MediaNama has not independently verified the officials’ account.
The framework that already exists
Streaming platforms are currently governed by Part III of the IT Rules, 2021, administered by MIB. The Code of Ethics for online curated content requires platforms to classify titles into five age categories—U, U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+ and A. Parental locks apply from U/A 13+ upwards, and adult content requires age verification.
The same rules lay out a grievance structure that the proposed three-tier system would largely reuse:
- First, the platform’s grievance officer responds to a complaint within 15 days.
- Second, an industry self-regulatory body reviews what the platform did.
- Third, MIB’s oversight layer, including an Inter-Departmental Committee, examines the matter.
The Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council, under IAMAI, still sits in the second tier.
Why the court stay matters
In August 2021, the Bombay High Court stayed Rules 9(1) and 9(3) of the IT Rules—covering the Code of Ethics and the oversight mechanism—after finding them prima facie beyond the IT Act’s authority. Those provisions applied to streaming services and digital news publishers. The Supreme Court paused the High Court proceedings in May 2022, but the interim stay was not lifted. Moving the provisions into legislation could be MIB’s way of fixing the legal basis that was challenged.
What streaming professionals should watch
For platform and content teams, this is a signal to stress-test existing compliance. Age ratings, parental locks and 15-day grievance turnaround are already on the books; the current debate is more about which law will authorise them. A new draft or amendment would likely preserve self-regulation as the first layer, then escalate to redressal and ministerial intervention.
MIB has been asked for monthly complaint numbers, grounds, and the status of the court stay, and IAMAI/DPCGC have been asked for grievance data and consultation details. Those responses will clarify whether this becomes a full legislative push or another round of policy discussion.
Source: MEDIANAMA
