India’s Supreme Court Demands Action Against Obscene Content on Digital Platforms
The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the central government, OTT platforms, and social media companies, demanding strict action to curb the transmission of obscene content. Prominent platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, ALT Balaji, ALT, X, Meta Inc., Google, Apple, and Mubi have been asked to respond to the matter.
A bench consisting of Justices B.R. Gavai and Augustine George Masih observed that the petition raised an important concern. They noted that the issue falls under the domain of the executive or legislature, and the allegations made challenge the authority of both. The Supreme Court emphasized the need for action to address the spread of obscene content across these platforms.
The petitioners argued that OTT and social media platforms have been transmitting obscene content without any regulation or oversight. Representing the central government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta expressed concern, stating that obscene content is not limited to specific shows but is prevalent in many regularly aired programs. Some programs, he added, are so explicit that they cannot be watched by two people sitting together.
The Supreme Court remarked that the issues raised in the petition relate to policy-making and that it is the central government’s responsibility to address them. As a result, notices have been issued to all concerned parties to provide their responses.
The petitioners, including Uday Mahurkar, Sanjeev Nair, Sudeshna Bhattacharya Mukherjee, Shatabdi Pandey, and Swati Goyal, also highlighted that the increasing prevalence of pornography and obscene content on digital platforms has led to a rise in crimes against women and children, negatively affecting the mental development of youth. They stressed the need for a robust system to protect children and minors on OTT and social media platforms, or else these services should be shut down in India. Additionally, they called for the creation of a National Content Control Authority to regulate and ban obscene content, similar to the Central Board of Film Certification.
