Content row: will govt tighten control?

The government's recent advisory to social media and streaming platforms to strictly monitor and remove all content deemed obscene or vulgar, following massive outrage over distasteful jokes on YouTube show India's Got Latent featuring podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia and comic Samay Raina, has sparked concerns about sweeping content regulations that could follow, potentially curbing freedom of expression.

- Lata Jha

Some entertainment industry executives feel the government's advisory could be a precursor to a revival of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, whose scope extended beyond over-the-top (OTT) content and digital news to include individual social media accounts and online video creators, and imposed criminal liability for violations.

Others say it could take some other form of regulation. Content creators and producers are battling new worries of online content losing its distinct edge, with freedom of expression being curbed as a whole, as far as entertainment programming goes.