Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Empowered to Regulate Online Gaming and Ads.

In a significant development, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has been granted the authority to oversee online gaming services and advertisements.

This move, sanctioned by President Draupadi Murmu through a recent gazette notification, aims to ensure better regulation and governance in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

As per the notification, “films and Audio-Visual programmes/content made available by online content providers/publishers” have been brought under the purview of the “Ministry of Information and Broadcasting” in the Second Schedule of Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. This grants the I&B Ministry the power to regulate content dissemination in the digital sphere, Business Today reported.

One of the primary implications of this development is that the Ministry of I&B will now be responsible for formulating policies governing gaming content platforms and online advertisements. Previously, these aspects fell under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Information Technology Act, 2000.