NEW DELHI: The government has asked OTT platforms to make their shows easier to watch and hear. A new set of accessibility guidelines from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting requires streaming services to add features for viewers with hearing and visual impairments.

The move follows the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and is meant to bring streaming closer to the promise of equal access. In simple terms, if a film or series is coming to an OTT platform, it should not arrive empty-handed. It should come with captions for those who cannot hear well and audio descriptions for those who cannot see clearly.

The guidelines ask platforms to provide at least one accessibility feature each for hearing-impaired and visually-impaired viewers. That could be closed captions, open captions, Indian Sign Language interpretation, or audio description. The aim is to make content understandable without turning the viewing experience into a technical chore.

There is, however, a long runway. Platforms have up to thirty six months from the date of the guidelines to ensure that all newly released content carries these accessibility features. Older titles in their libraries are not under strict timelines, but companies are encouraged to add features gradually.

The rules also go beyond the show itself. User interfaces, whether on mobile apps, smart TVs or websites, must be designed to work with assistive technologies. Accessibility labels such as CC for captions, AD for audio description and ISL for sign language must be displayed clearly so viewers know what to expect before pressing play.

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Some content types get a free pass. Live events, music, podcasts, and short form content like ads are exempt because of practical challenges in real time captioning and description.

OTT publishers will also need to file accessibility conformance reports. The first report is due three years from now, followed by quarterly updates. Complaints from viewers will follow a three tier system, starting with the platform itself, moving to self-regulatory bodies, and finally reaching a government monitoring committee if needed.

For the streaming industry, the message is clear. Accessibility is no longer a nice extra tucked away in settings. It is fast becoming part of the main feature, and in a country where streaming audiences run into the hundreds of millions, that could make a very big difference to who gets to enjoy the show.

MUMBAI: A long audit trail just got a lot shorter. India’s broadcast audit regime is being rewired, with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India rolling out the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Seventh Amendment) Regulations, 2026 to bring clarity, credibility and fewer déjà vu audits to the sector.

The changes come after persistent industry feedback flagged bloated audit cycles, repetitive checks on distributors of pay channels (DPOs), patchy accountability of auditors and gaps around infrastructure sharing. TRAI says the overhaul is designed to cut costs and disruption, without diluting oversight.

At the heart of the amendment is a firmer audit calendar. Audits will now be conducted on a financial-year basis, replacing the calendar-year system. Distributors must complete audits and submit reports to broadcasters by 30 September each year, setting a single, predictable deadline across the ecosystem.

Transparency has also been dialled up. Broadcasters are now permitted to depute representatives during audits. If discrepancies surface, broadcasters can seek clarifications from auditors through the DPO, with responses required within defined timelines. Should doubts persist, broadcasters may commission a fresh audit at their own cost, subject to the Authority’s approval. And if an audit report does not land by the September deadline, broadcasters can trigger an audit themselves.

In a nod to ease of doing business, TRAI has eased the load on smaller distributors. Annual audits at the distributor’s cost are now optional for DPOs with fewer than 30,000 subscribers, though broadcasters retain the right to get these entities audited at their own expense.

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The amendment also plugs a long-standing grey area around infrastructure sharing. Subscriber Management Systems and Conditional Access Systems or DRM must meet requirements separately for each distributor, with distinct instances to allow entity-wise reconciliation. On branding, infrastructure providers must insert network logo watermarking for all pay channels at the encoder end, while seekers supply their logo via set-top equipment or middleware. To keep screens clean, TRAI suggests limiting visible logos to two.

Backing the regulatory changes is a tougher gatekeeping process for auditors. Following consultations and an open house, TRAI has strengthened technical proficiency norms, categorised auditors by experience and tightened accountability provisions through its empanelment framework issued in August 2025. An updated audit manual aligned to the new rules is expected shortly.

Taken together, the Authority believes the package will restore confidence in the audit process, curb repeat checks, lower compliance costs for both broadcasters and distributors, and ensure audits are completed on time. For an industry long tangled in audit fatigue, TRAI’s message is clear: fewer loops, clearer lines, and a cleaner bill of health.

DELHI: India’s Supreme Court has delivered a stinging reality check to WhatsApp, making it clear that free messaging should not come at the cost of a user’s digital soul. In a heated hearing on Tuesday, the bench took aim at Meta’s 2021 privacy policy, describing the platform’s “take-it-or-leave-it” ultimatum as less of a choice and more of a digital shakedown.

The Court did not mince its words, famously characterising Meta’s data-harvesting tactics as a “decent way of committing theft” of private information. While the tech giant might see data as the new oil, chief justice Surya Kant suggested that the current method of extraction looks a lot like daylight robbery under the guise of an “Accept” button.

The bench was particularly unimpressed by the idea that users have a free choice in the matter. Likening the power dynamic to an agreement between a “Lion and a lamb,” the judges noted that WhatsApp’s massive market dominance effectively forces consent. For millions of Indians, opting out of the app isn’t a simple preference; it is a social and professional exile. The Court noted that users are effectively “addicted” to the service, making any consent gathered under these terms “manufactured” rather than genuine.

In a moment of high drama, the chief justice issued a blunt ultimatum: “If you cannot follow our Constitution, leave India.” The message was clear: commercial interests will not be permitted to bulldoze the fundamental right to privacy.

The Court also took a swipe at the “cleverly crafted” legalese found in the terms of service. It argued that a street vendor or a rural worker should not need a law degree to understand how their data is being traded. The justices dismissed the notion that WhatsApp is a charity, pointing out that while users do not pay in rupees, they pay a heavy price in personal information that Meta later monetises.

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As it stands, the Court has handed Meta some serious homework with a very tight deadline. The company must file an affidavit by February 9, giving a firm promise that it will stop sharing user data across its various entities. For now, the message from Delhi is loud and clear: if WhatsApp wants to stay in the conversation, it needs to start respecting the boundaries.