Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for Information and Broadcasting yesterday said there is a need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media and OTT platforms.

In the Lok Sabha, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said the Parliamentary Standing Committee should take up the issue and also called for a consensus to frame more strict laws in this regard, a PTI report from new Delhi stated yesterday.

Earlier, there were editorial checks and it was decided whether something was right or wrong but those checks have ended. Today, social media is a platform for freedom of press but it is uncontrolled and there is vulgar content, the minister said during the Question Hour.

There is a need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media platforms, Vaishnaw said amid din in the House.

He was responding to questions by BJP member Arun Govil about existing mechanisms to check telecast of vulgar and sex-related content through social media platforms illegally and whether the government proposes to make the existing laws more stringent keeping in view the fact that the said laws are not much effective to stop misuse of these platforms.

According to an official government statement put out on the issue, the Minister, while acknowledging the distinct cultural differences between India and the geographies where these platforms originated, emphasized, “The cultural sensitivities of India vastly differ from those of the regions where these platforms were created. This makes it imperative for India to make existing laws stricter.”

He urged everyone to come to a consensus on this matter. “There should be societal consensus on it, along with stricter laws to address this challenge,” he added.