Netflix & Amazon face censorship threat in India as court cases grow


Netflix & Amazon face censorship threat in India as court cases grow


A senior government source told India is considering potential censorship on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.





The country's laws do not allow censorship of content on the online streaming platforms. Indian Film and TV certification sectors already modest public content in India. Netflix and Amazon prime are also creating more and more original local content to attract viewers in India.






The government official said several court cases and complaints filed to the police in recent months, claiming that some content was obscene or insulted religious sentiment.

Netflix's first Indian original series, Sacred Games, outstayed a court challenge last year over "offensive scenes" and disparaging remarks about a former Indian prime minister, but the case was later fired. There was also a police complaint filed last month by a politician who blamed some Netflix shows for "insulting Hindus".





Smoking scenes in Bollywood movies on Amazon and Netflix in India, for example, do not carry the mandatory anti-tobacco textual warnings.







The government source said it is possible the government will decide against any regulation, several other possibilities are being explored.





Netflix last year said India could bring its next 100 million subscribers. Netflix recently launched a monthly mobile-only plan in India for Rs 199 ($2.80).






Comments