The Justice for Rights Foundation, an NGO, has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court of India, seeking regulation by the Government of online content available on streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, and others.

A similar petition filed before Delhi High Court was dismissed in February, and the matter is now before the Supreme Court on appeal. The NGO had petitioned for regulation on the grounds that these services were violating the law by hosting content that was uncertified and explicit, and that such services were operating without a license. The Petition sought for a licensing regime over streaming services, so as to regulate them akin to DTH and Cable operators. The Delhi High Court, however, dismissed the petition upon consulting with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which stated that online platforms are not required to obtain any such license.

On appeal, the Supreme Court has issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Technology, the Ministry of Law, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, to seek the Centre’s opinion on the matter.