New Delhi: Union Health Ministry has issued new guidelines for anti-tobacco notices on OTT platforms. The OTT platforms are required by this notification to carry anti-tobacco warning messages. The Union Health Ministry and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will impose heavy penalties on the publisher of online content who disobeys the new regulations as per the Health and Family Welfare Ministry. This latest news comes on World No-Tobacco Day.
As per an ANI tweet, "Union Health Ministry has notified new rules for anti-tobacco warnings on OTT platforms. This notification mandates OTT platforms to carry anti-tobacco warning messages. If the publisher of online content fails to comply with new rules, the Union Health Ministry and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will take strict action: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare."
Through the regulation of anti-tobacco warnings on OTT platforms, India takes the lead in the world.
The rules, which will take effect in three months, are called the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rules. 2023.
The recently announced regulation mandates that anti-tobacco health commercials be shown for a minimum of 30 seconds at the start and middle of every programme that features tobacco products or their use.
According to the new regulations, "online curated content" refers to any curated collection of audio-visual content that is owned by, licenced to, or contracted to be transmitted by a publisher of online curated content and made available on demand over the internet or computer networks, with the exception of news and current affairs.
Films, audio-visual programming, documentaries, TV shows, serials, series, podcasts, and other similar content are included.