Facing criticism, Govt withdraws new draft of broadcast Bill

• The ministry of Information and Broadcasting is learnt to have withdrawn the new draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024.

Highlights:

• The new draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024, triggered controversy and criticism over fears that the government was trying to exert greater control over online content.
• The draft Bill had raised several questions on the freedom of speech and expression, and the government’s powers to regulate it.
• The ministry is expected to go back to the drawing board and work on a new proposal.
• The Bill, which sought to replace the 1995 Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, deals with television broadcasting.
• The new draft Bill came under intense criticism after it expanded its remit from OTT content and digital news to include social media accounts and online video creators, sought to define a “digital news broadcaster” in sweeping terms to include independent content creators, and proposed prior registration with the government.
• There was pushback from independent content creators publicly, and big tech companies privately, over fears of government overreach.
• As per the draft Bill, such creators would have fallen under the category of OTT broadcasters.
• The latest draft sought to define “digital news broadcasters” to include “publisher of news and current affairs content”
• This definition could include users on YouTube, Instagram, and even X, who generate advertising revenue through paid subscriptions or monetise their social media accounts through affiliate activities.
• It allowed the government to specify a threshold for the number of subscribers or viewers for OTT broadcasters, who would then have to intimate it of their existence and operations and also adhere to a programme code and an advertisement code.
• The Bill also sought to validate the “Code of Ethics” prescribed under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which has been stayed by the Bombay High Court and the Madras High Court.

Prelims Takeaway

• Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024.