Netflix, Hotstar to censor content in India: Report
Hindustan TimesNetflix Inc and home-grown rival Hotstar plan to adopt self-regulation guidelines for content streamed on their platforms in India in an effort to prevent potential government censorship, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. But global video streaming market leader, Netflix, was drawn into a legal battle last year after a complaint that its first Indian original series “Sacred Games” insulted former prime minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi. A draft of an unofficial code that will be adopted by Netflix, Hotstar and other local players, seen by Reuters, said that the platforms would prohibit content that shows a child “engaged in real or simulated sexual activities”, is disrespectful of India’s national flag or encourages “terrorism”. A local non-profit group, Justice For Rights Foundation, late last year filed a case against Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Hotstar for showing sexually explicit content and demanding a regulator for online content, its founder Satyam Singh told Reuters.