Government Extends Consultation on Controversial Broadcasting Services Bill
Govt extends consultation on the Broadcasting Services Bill amid criticism from digital creators. New draft will be published after public feedback by October 15.
Government Extends Consultation Period for Controversial Broadcasting Services Bill Amidst Criticism from Digital Content Creators and Media Representatives
The Indian government plans on furthering the discussion on the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill which has drawn negative reaction from the social media personalities. First launched in November last year, the bill was a proposed law designed to regulate social media and content sharing websites by categorizing them as “digital news broadcasters. ” This change was needed to bring YouTube under the regulatory purview, for example.
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On the demand of media, The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting assured that a new draft of the bill is in preparation and will be released soon after holding public debates. Due to intense pressure from stakeholders such as media firms and digital news providers, the Ministry of Digital Affairs has moved to extend the duration of the public consultation process to October 15 of the year 2024. Controversies have emerged as, when the independent creators are predominantly affected by this bill, they have legal responsibilities like providing notifications to the ministry and the formation of content evaluation committees on their own cost.
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Penalties for non-compliance are severe, with fines ranging from Rs 50 lakh for the first violation to Rs 2.5 crore for subsequent offenses. This has been a concern for worriment, over free speech and press freedom liberties. As for the legal situation, the Bombay and Madras High Courts had earlier passed certain rules under the bill provision because they endangered the freedom of the press.
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Some critics have argued DigiPub News India Foundation and the Editors Guild of India have decided to take on the government without consulting the larger digital media and civil society organizations. They argue that these regulations could potentially discourage independence for content creation and affect freedom of speech.
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