MUMBAI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry (MIB) is contemplating a regulation for OTT platforms on the lines of print and electronic media, according to a news article by the Press Trust of India. Minister Prakash Javadekar, however, said that the government will not be taking any step that will curb freedom of media. Some mainstream media outlets had relayed their concern to the government that OTT platforms are unregulated and so there can be no level-playing ground.

He said, "I have sought suggestions on how to deal with this because there are regular feature films coming on OTT -- good, bad and ugly. So how to deal with this, who should monitor, who should regulate. There is no certification body for OTT platforms and likewise news portals also.”

All other media have a body that regulates their work but OTT is free.

Regarding paid news, Javadekar said that the media should approach the government with suggestions on how to penalise those who indulge in the ‘unethical’ practice. He said that this was necessary to combat rising instances of fake news, which he claimed as ‘more dangerous’ than paid news. He also added that it wasn’t just the government’s job to tackle it but everyone’s.