If the consumption of tobacco is not okay, India should just ban it

The government's new online content guidelines are far too stiff and will prove costly-a big pity if it's just health tokenism

- DILIP CHERIAN

The ministry of health and family welfare's announcement that it will impose additional anti-tobacco controls on Online Curated Content Providers (OCCPs) has sparked widespread conversation. While well-intended, the government appears to be prioritizing treating symptoms instead of addressing the underlying cause. Opting for these regulations rather than considering a ban on the production or sale of tobacco, a known harmful substance, begs the question: Are these guidelines mere tokenism? If so, then it is important to recognize that this gesture may come at a high cost.

OCCPs have been mandated to comply with a tech solution within only 90 days. The directives are vague and inapplicable to over-the-top (OTT) platforms. Why? A web series, typically, has no defined mid-section because it is divided into seasons and is served to consumers in multiple languages. The guidelines specify that textual warnings must be displayed in the language of the audio track. Simply translating a title into various languages can render the content commercially unviable. Also, unlike a movie theatre experience, on OTT platforms, consumers can pause what they are watching and come back to it later.