An Indian consortium representing major streaming players like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney has protested against the government’s new tobacco warning rules, claiming they are impossible to apply and will hinder content creators’ freedom of expression. According to a letter viewed by Reuters, the health ministry of India recently ordered streaming platforms to insert fixed health warnings during smoking scenes within three months as part of the country’s anti-tobacco campaign. They also want at least 50 seconds of anti-tobacco disclaimers, including audio-visual, at the beginning and in the middle of each program.
The consortium, which also includes Mukesh Ambani’s streaming service JioCinema, is evaluating legal options to counteract the onerous regulations, which they claim would require editing millions of hours of Indian and Hollywood content. According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), “There is a practical impossibility associated with including such warnings across content because the amount of multilingual content on platforms is very high.” Furthermore, the organization called on the health ministry to reconsider the regulations, referring to a poll that indicated little to no concern among viewers regarding depictions of smoking on streaming platforms.
The rise in popularity of streaming providers like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and JioCinema in India, alongside their broad range of Hindi content featuring Bollywood actors, has also increased the frequency of smoking scenes.
Activists have welcomed the new regulations, claiming that they will discourage smoking in a country where tobacco is responsible for the deaths of 1.3 million individuals annually. However, the consortium believes that incorporating content descriptors warning users about smoking could be more effective, IAMAI stated.
Additionally, the group said the disturbances caused by warnings would be problematic for creators that put in considerable investments. When cinema and television in India highlight scenes of smoking and alcohol consumption, health warnings are required by law. Currently, there are no regulations for the dominant streaming services.
In 2013, Woody Allen refused to screen his film, Blue Jasmine, in India once he learned that mandatory anti-tobacco warnings would be inserted into its smoking scenes. Sanjay Seth, the head of non-profit Sambandh Health Foundation, stated that there should be no difference in how smoking is discouraged in cinema and digital platforms. “They must implement this. It will save lives,” Seth said.
In other news, the Motorola Edge 40, the successor to the 2022-released Edge 30, has recently hit the Indian market. On this episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 Podcast, we analyze whether you should opt for this phone or the Nothing Phone 1 or the Realme Pro+ and other associated subjects. Orbital is accessible on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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