The Indian government has admitted it has received complaints against content on news channels being run on YouTube, but has added it has no data on the total number of such channels thriving on streaming platforms.

Without directly naming YouTube or similar online user-generated content (UGC), the government did hint that news channels operating on such platforms did fall within the ambit of the new digital norms announced in February.

“The government has received representations and grievances relating to content on digital media, including news publishers,” Minister of Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar said in response to a query from a fellow parliamentarian whether there was a demand to “regulate the operation of the news channels” on streaming platforms like YouTube.

To another part of the same question in Rajya Sabha or Upper House of Parliament, Javadekar said on Monday “details regarding news channels operating on YouTube and OTT platforms are not maintained by (the) government” nor does a record is kept on the number of movies or any other audio-visual content released on OTT platforms.

When asked whether the government was planning to regulate the news channels, which were operating through YouTube and other OTT platforms, Javadekar admitted the government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and the rules provided for “Code of Ethics to be followed by publishers of news and current affairs on digital media and publishers of online curated content”.

He also outlined the three-step regulatory mechanism listed in the guidelines for social media and OTT platforms, and publishers of digital news.

Incidentally, two petitions have been filed in Indian courts by digital media organisations challenging the digital norms that clubs social media and online curated content platforms with digital news and seeks to apply the same yardstick of regulation or self-regulation for all three categories.

While pure play digital publishers are in a  mood to fight it out, legacy media with digital news extensions in a meeting with Javadekar urged the government to exempt them from falling under the ambit of the newly notified digital media norms.