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Tag: Digital Media Ethics Code

  • No case has gone to tier-3 so far for Digital Media Ethics Code violation: SC justice Arjan Sikri

    No case has gone to tier-3 so far for Digital Media Ethics Code violation: SC justice Arjan Sikri

    Mumbai: Publishers of online curated content have successfully implemented the three-tiered redressal mechanism for addressing grievances regarding violations of the Digital Media Code of Ethics as set forth by the IT Rules 2021, said former Supreme Court justice Arjan Kumar Sikri. “No case has gone to tier-3 so far for Digital Media Ethics Code violation,” he noted.

    Sikri was addressing the Pixels conference organised by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). He chairs IAMAI’s grievance redressal board formed as a part of the digital publisher content grievances council (DPCGC).

    “All complaints directly addressed to MIB/Inter-departmental Committee (level-3) should be pushed by the committee to be addressed by the platform (level-1) and then by the self-regulating body (level-2) before being taken by level-3. The exercise of adjudicatory powers by the executive branch of the Government, if not done judiciously, will jeopardize the freedom of digital entertainment in India,” he said.

    He further stated that the main concern of the industry is protecting intellectual rights in the digital entertainment space as well as addressing questions about data privacy. He added that ultimately when these issues come to regulators or courts, it is to be examined from the prism of – democracy, dissent, and the Constitution of India which guarantees freedom of speech under Article 19 (1) (a). He emphasized the need for an equilibrium between all the stakeholders, with minimal governmental control and maximum self-regulation to seamlessly regulate emerging sectors.

    The conference was also addressed by the Government of Telangana principal secretary for the industries and commerce department and information technology, electronics, and communications department Jayesh Ranjan.

    He stated that the Telangana government is looking to strengthen infrastructure for the sector. “We are setting up a facility of 1.4 million square feet in Hyderabad called image tower, which would be a hub of animation and VFX. We are confident that once the image tower is up and running this would be the new face of Hyderabad,” Sikri said.

  • M&E industry must ensure self-classification under IT Rules 2021 happens in right spirit: Vikram Sahay

    M&E industry must ensure self-classification under IT Rules 2021 happens in right spirit: Vikram Sahay

    Mumbai: It is the responsibility of everyone in the media and entertainment (M&E) industry to ensure self-classification of content happens in the “right spirit” under the Digital Media Ethics Code, said the ministry of information and broadcasting joint secretary Vikram Sahay on Tuesday.

    Sahay was addressing the Pixels digital entertainment conference organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

    “Consumers are curious whether the self-classification rule will be able to maintain the level of seriousness and discipline in content creation,” said Sahay. “We are of the view that the content creators and producers are mature enough and have accepted it in the right spirit. There should not be any cause of grievances on account of the fact that it is self-classification rather than pre-certification.”

    “We are in consultation with IAMAI for quite long, essentially in the area of content regulation and IAMAI has played a very important role in putting all the OTT players together and trying to develop a commonality of ideas and interests and that has helped us in trying to come out with Digital Media Ethics Code which was notified in February this year,” he further added.

    The Digital Media Ethics Code was notified in the month of February this year. The rules prescribed a framework to empower consumers to make informed viewing choices and also put in place a tiered grievance redressal mechanism.

    Sahay observed that the digital entertainment sector has witnessed phenomenal growth and has been a source of direct and indirect employment.

    The virtual conference Pixels deliberates upon the business and technology side of the digital entertainment sector with respect to OTT platforms, production houses, and content distributors.

  • Digital Media Ethics Code will make publishers accountable: I&B Jt Secy Vikram Sahay

    Digital Media Ethics Code will make publishers accountable: I&B Jt Secy Vikram Sahay

    New Delhi: As the government’s stand-off with a few social media companies continues over the new IT rules, ministry of information and broadcasting joint secretary Vikram Sahay said that Digital Media Ethics Code is aimed at addressing the grievances of the common man, and should be viewed as a ‘citizen-centric legislation’.

    “Digital Media Ethics Code is aimed at stopping transmission of content which is objectionable to women or harmful to children. Presence of a regulatory body can control and stop the spread of fake news as well as make the publishers accountable. It is essentially citizen-centric legislation,” he said on Tuesday.

    The MIB joint secretary was speaking at a webinar on ‘Digital Media Ethics Code’ organised by Press Information Bureau, Maharashtra and Goa for improving stakeholder understanding of Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, that came into effect on 26 May.

    India is the world’s fastest growing OTT market and the market is expected to reach $2.9 billion by 2024 which is an annual growth of 28.6 per cent. Sahay said the new rules become all the more important, amid this recent explosion of digital content. “The purpose of the Digital Media Ethics Code is to stop transmission of content which is objectionable to women or harmful to children,” he added.

    Elaborating on how the online news portals are the major source of news among Indians under 35 years of age and that there is a 41 per cent increase in time spent on such news apps, Sahay said, “When there are content regulators like Press Council of India for newspapers and Cable TV Network Act, 1995 for News on TV there has been no such regulation for news on digital platforms. Similar is the case for OTTs which do not have a regulation unlike that of Cinema Halls or Television.”

    The new rules notified on 25 February, came into effect on 26 May recommend a three-tier mechanism for the regulation of all online media. According to the new IT Rules, social media and streaming companies will be required to take down contentious content quicker, appoint grievance redressal officers and assist in investigations. The rules also seek to regulate the functioning of online media portals and publishers, over-the-top (OTT) platforms and social media intermediaries.

    “There will be an inter-departmental committee to deal with unresolved complaints by news publishers or regulatory bodies and for that it is imperative that disclosure of information in public domain regarding grievance redressal by publisher and self-regulating body is done,” said the joint secretary.

    Sahay also added that the I & B ministry will collect basic information about people working on news portals or OTT platforms, in a prescribed format by the stakeholders. “More than 1800 of people working on news portals or OTT platforms have already submitted their details to the ministry, where most of them have submitted voluntarily,” he added.

    Digital news publishers, representatives of film industry, Over the Top (OTT) platforms and online content producers attended the webinar, along with academicians, researchers, students and officers of state government of Maharashtra and Goa.