On 5th February, 2020 the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) announced the launch of its Code for Self Regulation of Online Curated Content Providers. Among other things it provides the basis for the creation of the Digital Content Complaint Council (along the lines of a similar system in place for TV) to oversee content creation and distribution in the online video streaming space. Although there are only four signatories (as opposed to nine in the case of a previous iteration), there are rumbling that the group is seeking government endorsement of this initiative. We have written to the IAMAI and copied the letter to both the Union Ministries of Information & Broadcasting; and Electronics and Information Technology highlighting how this will lead to self-censorship to the detriment of internet users, creators, producers and competition within the market. Based on these grounds we have asked the industry body to roll back the code and asked government authorities to refrain from endorsing the framework.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://internetfreedom.in/online-video-streaming-and-tv-are-not-the-same-so-why-is-the-iamai-trying-to-make-it-so/