It was earlier reported that Netflix and Hotstar had agreed to self-regulate content streamed on their platforms. But the OTT giant Netflix issued a statement today denying these reports.
According to a report by ThePrint, Netflix and its counterparts met with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on October 25, and agreed to self-regulate their content. It said Netflix had also agreed to come up with a set of guidelines in this regard.
The report carried this as information from two anonymous sources, one of whom was a top ministry official. The person was quoted saying, “Yes, there was a discussion of self-regulation and Netflix and Hotstar agreed that they should regulate their content.”
Responding to this, Netflix’s statement read, “The information quoted is inaccurate and entirely false. Netflix was never in this meeting.”
In another article published by HuffPost, several writers currently working with Netflix, who chose to remain anonymous, said that no instruction in this regard had been passed to them. A filmmaker who has signed to direct a series for Netflix said he hadn’t heard anything about this. Another writer, currently developing a new series for the streaming giant, also said the same.
Unlike film and TV censorship, the newer digital streaming services in India are not under the scanner of any governing body.
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Sacred Games was the first production by Netflix in India containing graphic nudity. Following the news it made, rumours circulated that the government might step in regulate its content, but the Ministry of I&B responded to an RTI application saying they didn’t have the power to censor online content.
The only OTT giant in India to have chosen self-censorship is Amazon Prime, with scenes showing nudity on its shows like Californication and The Man In The High Castle being blurred.