Union information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on November 27 said in the Lok Sabha that there was need to have stricter laws to curb vulgar content on social media and OTT platforms. He, however, sought consensus on stricter laws, and urged the parliamentary standing committee to take up this important matter on a priority basis.
“There should be societal consensus on it, along with stricter laws to address this challenge,” said Vaishnaw. He also rued that editorial checks in traditional press that ensured “accountability and correctness of content” was missing in the era of social media. “We are living in the era of social media and OTT platforms. However, the democratic institutions and traditional forms of the press that once relied on editorial checks to ensure accountability and correctness of content, have seen these checks diminish over time,”said the minister.
