Child Rights Body Summons Netflix Over Sexual Content for Minors, Appearance on July 29
On Tuesday (July 23), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued a summons to the OTT platform Netflix. It states that Netflix displays sexual content on its platform, which is easily accessible to minors. This is a violation of the POCSO Act 2012.
The NCPCR mentioned that Netflix was sent a letter earlier in June regarding the same issue but received no response. Meanwhile, there has been no statement from Netflix regarding the new summons issued by the Commission. Under Section 14 of the CPCR Act 2005, the Commission has instructed officials associated with Netflix to appear on July 29 at 3 PM with details of the steps taken so far in this matter.
B-grade and Low-budget Soft Porn Content in Web Series
According to media reports, between 2018 and 2024, several OTT platforms began presenting B-grade and low-budget soft porn content in the form of web series. The Supreme Court and Delhi High Court have implemented regulatory norms for OTT platforms. Now, the government oversees OTT platform content through the Mediation Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021.
According to the regulations, OTT platforms must adhere to their own classification, age rating, and content self-regulation. Failure to comply may result in the government blocking problematic content under Sections 67, 67A, and 67B of the law.
Netflix’s Success Story Since 2004
Netflix’s success story began in 2004, and its annual revenue has now reached ₹37.3 billion. Following this, the company saw a rapid increase in popularity and customer numbers. By 2005, around 5 million people worldwide had subscribed to it. However, YouTube also emerged in 2005.
In early 2007, Netflix began video streaming on its app for the first time, introducing the “WATCH NOW” option. People could watch their chosen films directly without DVDs. This proved to be a game-changer for the company. Subsequently, the company made deals with Blu-ray and Xbox 360, allowing content to be streamed on Netflix.
The Story of OTT Launch in India
OTT began in India in 2008 with the launch of the first reliable OTT platform, ‘BigFlix,’ released by Reliance Entertainment. Later, in 2010, Digivive launched ‘NexGTV,’ India’s first OTT mobile application.
In 2013 and 2014, NexGTV became the first app to live-stream IPL matches. In 2015, live streaming of IPL made Hotstar (now Disney+ Hotstar) the most popular OTT platform in the country.
In 2013, apps like Ditto TV and Sony Liv were also launched, starting the streaming of shows from channels like Star, Sony, Viacom, and Zee on OTT. This led viewers to download these OTT apps on a large scale and start watching their favorite shows anytime as per their preference.
The Surge in OTT During the Pandemic
During the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, OTT platforms in India saw a 13% increase in views compared to the last three months of 2019. During the first lockdown, G5 saw an 80% increase in subscribers, while Amazon Prime was subscribed by 67% new users.
According to an Invest India report, time spent by users on OTT platforms like ‘Amazon Prime,’ ‘Netflix,’ and ‘Disney+ Hotstar’ increased by 82.63% during the pandemic. At the same time, people in the country spent 20.5% more time on free access platforms like YouTube.
