National: The Supreme Court of India has taken cognizance of a pressing matter concerning the proliferation of sexually explicit material on over-the-top (OTT) streaming services and various social media platforms.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih has issued a directive to the central government and other pertinent entities, demanding a response to a petition that implores the implementation of stringent measures to curtail the widespread availability of such content.
During the court proceedings, Justice Gavai offered a significant observation, highlighting that the core issue presented in the petition arguably resides within the domain of the executive and the legislature. He further articulated the existing apprehensions surrounding potential judicial overreach when adjudicating matters that are perceived to be more appropriately addressed by governmental bodies or legislative enactments.
Representing the central government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta conveyed to the esteemed court that while certain regulatory frameworks are already in place to address aspects of this concern, the authorities are actively engaged in contemplating and formulating additional measures to tackle the issue more comprehensively.
The petition that has spurred this judicial action has been jointly filed by five concerned individuals who are advocating for the creation of a dedicated National Content Control Authority.
The primary objective of this proposed authority would be to effectively regulate and proactively prevent the accessibility of explicit content on a wide array of digital platforms, encompassing both popular OTT services and widely used social media channels.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain formally appeared before the court to represent the collective interests and arguments of the petitioners in this significant matter.
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