New Delhi: The government has announced plans to prepare a revised draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill following significant backlash from online content creators and media organizations. Concerns have been raised about the bill’s potential impact on digital and social media spaces.

On Monday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that further consultations with stakeholders will be conducted to refine the draft bill. The ministry has extended the deadline for submitting comments and suggestions to October 15, 2024, promising to release a new version of the draft after these consultations.

The original draft, released on November 11, 2023, aimed to regulate online content creators alongside OTT platforms and digital news broadcasters. This draft proposed that individual online content creators would be required to appoint a grievance redressal officer and establish a content evaluation committee if they reached a certain number of subscribers. The bill also sought to impose the ministry’s Content and Advertisement Code on these creators.

The proposed regulations sparked significant concern among digital media bodies. The DigiPub News India Foundation, representing over 90 digital news publishers, and the Editors Guild of India criticized the draft for not adequately consulting digital media organizations and civil society associations before its release. They also raised concerns about the bill’s potential to restrict free speech by imposing stringent content standards on online platforms.

There were allegations from the Opposition and various social media posts suggesting that a revised version of the draft bill was distributed to a select group of stakeholders without broad public consultation. Trinamool Congress MP Jawhar Sircar raised these issues in the Rajya Sabha, further fueling debate.

Reports suggest that the revised draft sought to classify Instagram influencers and YouTubers as "digital news broadcasters," which would require them to register with the government and adhere to prescribed content standards. This classification has been criticized for potentially infringing on free speech and placing undue burdens on individual creators.

In response to the criticism, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting emphasized that the draft bill was intended to bring clarity and regulation to the broadcasting sector. The ministry acknowledged receiving numerous recommendations and comments and committed to addressing these concerns in the revised draft.

The ministry's statement on social media clarified that the draft bill was placed in the public domain for stakeholder feedback and that additional time was being provided for a thorough review. The government assured that a fresh draft will be published after incorporating feedback from ongoing consultations.

As the government works on revising the bill, media organizations and content creators continue to advocate for greater transparency and engagement in the legislative process. They emphasize the need for regulations that balance the need for oversight with the protection of free expression in the digital age.