There have been talks about regulating (top) applications in India. The problem is that not all government ministries are on the same page. The Communications Department is seeking to put OTT apps such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram under regulation. Both the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Department of Communications (DoT) support the regulation of OTT applications, but the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) does not hold the same view, ET Telecom reports. Comments from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have not yet come.
The Department of Transport has reportedly sent a signal to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), asking the authority to reconsider its recommendations on the matter made in 2020. For those unaware, in 2020, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India concluded that in those Phase, there was no need to regulate OTT applications, but a periodic review of itself will occur to ensure that steps can be taken when necessary.
DoT wants to stop the spread of misinformation
DoT wants the ability to selectively block OTT apps that spread misinformation. An official familiar with the matter told the publication that the need to regulate OTT applications is urgent for the security and protection of consumer privacy.
MeitY believes that the decision made by TRAI in 2020 is good enough for now, and there is no need to regulate OTT applications. DoT wants the ability to regulate OTT apps in real time because it wants to stop the spread of misinformation on these apps.
COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) said OTT applications should be subject to the licensing system. COAI will certainly support the idea of regulating OTT applications as it will be beneficial for telecom operators. MeitY now oversees apps like Facebook and Twitter, while DoT handles communication apps.
