In a latest order by the Centre, it has asked to bring content providers including online gaming services and online advertisements under the I&B Ministry.
Online Gaming Services, Advertisements Brought Under I&B Ministry
Under this order, the Centre has asked to bring content providers including online gaming services and online advertisements under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The Ministry of I&B will get the power to regulate policies for gaming content platforms and online advertisements with this move.
As per the gazette notification issued by President Draupadi Murmu, ‘films and Audio-Visual programmes/content made available by online content providers/publishers would be brought under the heading “Ministry of Information and Broadcasting” in the Second Schedule of Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961.
A senior official said that ‘this will have to be followed up by making new rules etc for effecting change,” on the condition of anonymity.
Ministry of I&B Regulating Policies for Gaming Content Platforms and Online Advertisements
The Ministry of I&B will get the power to regulate policies for gaming content platforms and online advertisements through this notification.
Earlier in April, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had released an amendment to the IT Rules, 2021.
The initiative was to regulate “online real money games” where users had to risk money to play, while the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting issued a fresh advisory warning media entities, platforms and online intermediaries against airing advertisements of betting and gambling platforms.
Back then, the I&B Ministry had taken strong exception to the recent instances of mainstream English and Hindi newspapers carrying advertisements and promotional content of betting websites.
First time the move to regulate online media was initiated in March 2018.
During that time the minister for I&B Smriti Irani, and the online space was governed by the Information Technology Act, 2000.
