The Indian government is exploring ways to bring under regulations platforms that carry user-generated curated content, which may include the likes of YouTube and Facebook, according to a media report.

Another media report also suggested that the contentious Broadcast Services (Regulation) Bill or the BSRB is highly unlikely to find its way to the parliament when it is reconvened later this month under a new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Hindi television news channel News24, YouTube content could be brought under content regulations. (https://x.com/news24tvchannel/status/1802158848913858664?s=46)

“YouTube, Facebook aur doosre video platformo ko regulate karne ke liye kanoon aa sakta hai (YouTube, Facebook and other video platforms could also be regulated),” the News24 post on X read, adding that the government is also exploring to bring in laws for deep fake content.

Whether these reported content regulations be introduced under the proposed Digital India Bill, helmed by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) or the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting-piloted BSRB is not clear.

None of the two media outlets quoted above dwelt in detail on this aspect and the Indianbroadcastingworld.com couldn’t independently confirm the developments. However, what is clear is that both the proposals — regulating UGC on the likes of YouTube and FB, and delayed introduction of BSRB in parliament — are contentious pieces of proposed rules that would cause ripples in the Indian media and entertainment industry.

Quoting unnamed sources, the Hindu Businessline yesterday reported that the BSRB is unlikely to be tabled in the upcoming session of the new parliament that will take place at the end of this month.

“The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is keen on ironing out several issues like the regulation of streaming firms and pre-certification of content that appear to be holdups for the industry and civil society,” the HBL report stated, adding the consultation process for the BSRB “continues to be ongoing”, wherein the industry submitted its third round of comments June 14. (https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/broadcasting-bill-unlikely-to-be-tabled-in-the-inaugural-parliament-session/article68296590.ece)

Meanwhile, according to a PTI report from New Delhi, Meity and MIB Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while informally interacting with journalists late last week, remarked that the overall structure in terms of the Telecom Act, DPDP or the digital personal data protection rules, and draft Digital India Bill ”remains intact”.

He, however, did not dwell in detail on some of the main issues at MIB, which is one of the three portfolios he is entrusted with apart from Meity and the Railways.