The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had introduced a draft telecom bill aiming to classify Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms as telecommunication services and subject them to regulation similar to telecom operators. In parallel, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had issued a consultation paper on regulating OTT platforms. However, the IT Ministry contended that internet-based communication services fell outside the DoT’s jurisdiction under the Allocation of Business Rules.

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2. OTT Platforms Regulation
GS3: Economy

3. OTT Platforms Regulation
• Written by Rishabh, the article discusses "OTT Platforms
Regulation" in detail. This subject is significant to the UPSC CSE
exam's Governance parts. Our well-versed mentor Dr. Bijendra
Kumar Jha has reviewed this article and given final approval for
publishing on the website.

4. 1.Overview:
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) does not have
jurisdiction over Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms such as Hotstar.
These platforms fall under the governance of the Information
Technology Rules, 2021, as notified by the Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology (MeitY), as affirmed by India's telecom
appellate panel.

5. • Telecom Appellate Panel confirmed TRAI
lacks jurisdiction over OTT platforms.
• TDSAT stated OTT platforms governed
by IT Rules, 2021.
• Significant ruling due to conflicting
regulatory efforts.
2.KeyPoints:

6. • OCC platforms curate and deliver content online, e.g., Amazon
Prime, Netflix.
• "Pull model" allows user-driven content consumption.
3.OnlineCuratedContent(OTT)Platforms:

7. Regulation:
Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021:
• Rules address social media and OTT platforms.
• Formulated under IT Act, 2000, superseding 2011 rules.
Regulations for OTT Platforms:
• Self-classification of content into age-based categories.
• Parental locks for U/A 13+; age verification for "A."
• Display ratings and content descriptors for informed decisions.
Regulations for Publishers of News on Digital Media:
• Adherence to journalistic conduct and Programme Code.
• Level playing field with offline media.
Grievance Redressal Mechanism:
• Three-level mechanism for dispute resolution.
• Self-regulation, self-regulatory bodies, and oversight.

8. TelecomRegulatoryAuthorityofIndia(TRAI):
• Statutory body regulating telecom sector since 1997.
• Mission to protect consumers and foster telecom,
broadcasting, and cable growth.
• Promotes India's role in the global information society.

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