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The PIL alleged that the content on OTT platforms promotes violence, drug abuse, obscenity, and crime against women and children
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has issued notices to the Union Home Secretary and other officials to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking regulation and censorship of content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms.
A bench comprising Justices Subramanian and Victoria Gowri heard the petition on Wednesday and issued notices to the Union Secretaries of Home, Telecommunications, and Information Technology.
The PIL was filed by Adishivam, a resident of Tiruppuvanam in Sivagangai district, alleging that movies and web series on OTT platforms promote violence, drug abuse, obscenity, and crime against women and children.
The petitioner also raised concerns about content that contains separatist sentiments and anti-national views.
He further claimed that despite repeated requests to the authorities, no steps have been taken to regulate or censor the content.
The petitioner urged the court that an order be issued under the Film Censor Act to censor scenes and dialogues that violate societal morals, ethics, and cultural values.
Importantly, the PIL highlighted the rapid rise in the number of OTT platform users, citing data that showed 2.4 billion users in 2018, a figure expected to grow to 4.2 billion by 2027. The petitioner stressed that this surge exposes the younger generation to significant physical and psychological harm due to the unregulated content.
Case Title: S Adhisivam v The Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Others
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