New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday raised concerns over the growing circulation of obscene and explicit content on Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms and social media, urging the Centre to take legislative measures to address the issue.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by journalist and former information commissioner Uday Mahurkar and others, a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih issued notices to the Union government and platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime, AltBalaji, Ullu Digital, Mubi, X Corp (formerly Twitter), Google, Meta Inc., and Apple.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for the petitioners, stressed that the case was not adversarial but aimed at highlighting an unchecked spread of explicit content across digital platforms. The petition warns of serious societal impacts, including the promotion of deviant behaviors and rising crimes against women and children.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, acknowledged the pervasiveness of objectionable material and hinted at forthcoming regulations, while cautioning against outright censorship. “There is some regulation in place; some is in contemplation,” he said. Justice Gavai urged swift action, remarking, “Do something… Something legislative.”
Filed in March, the PIL argues that the lack of effective regulation over content — ranging from soft-core adult material to child pornography — threatens the psychological development of young minds and erodes societal values. It criticizes both OTT services and social media platforms for inadequate content controls, despite previous representations made to authorities.
The court’s intervention signals potential regulatory tightening for digital businesses operating in India, an increasingly crucial market for global streaming and tech giants. With a broader legal framework likely in the works, the digital entertainment and social media sectors could face new compliance challenges in the coming months.
The matter will come up for further hearing soon.
