Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued an advisory directing OTT platforms to ensure full compliance with Indian laws, particularly the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the Code of Ethics under the IT Rules, 2021. The advisory was issued on April 22, 2025, in response to a Delhi High Court order passed last year.

The directive comes in the backdrop of a December 19, 2024, ruling in the matter of ‘Akshat Baldwa & Anr.’ vs ‘Maddock Films Pvt. Ltd.’ & ‘Ors.’, where the court had stressed the need for greater accessibility of films released online.

During the hearing, the respondents assured the court that Same-Language Captioning (SLC) would be added for two of their upcoming releases—’Stree 2: Sarkaté Ka Aatank’ and ‘Auro Mein Kahan Dum Tha’—within eight weeks. The court also instructed the Centre to submit a detailed affidavit explaining the steps taken to improve accessibility features across OTT platforms.

Referring to this case, the advisory emphasized that the Code of Ethics, which is part of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, already includes a provision that requires publishers of online curated content to take reasonable efforts—“to the extent feasible”—to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities. This includes the use of captions, audio descriptions, and other access services.

“It is advised that the OTT platforms fully comply with the various provisions of applicable laws including the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and the Code of Ethics under the IT Rules, 2021 while publishing content,” the advisory reads. It also notes that self-regulatory bodies overseeing OTT content must ensure that member platforms are aligning with these requirements and take suitable measures to enforce compliance.

The advisory was issued by Deputy Secretary Amarendra Singh and follows the High Court’s reminder that all stakeholders involved in the OTT ecosystem are legally and morally responsible for making digital content more accessible to people with disabilities.

The Court has also scheduled the next hearing on April 4, 2025, where it expects updates on the implementation status from the involved parties. Meanwhile, the government’s advisory serves as a firm nudge to the streaming industry to treat accessibility not as an afterthought, but as an integral part of digital content delivery.