Government weighs tougher laws for ‘harmful’ digital content after Allahbadia’s remark outrage: Report 

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is considering new legal measures to regulate “harmful” content on digital platforms, following widespread backlash over podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia’s controversial remarks on a YouTube programme.  

The move signals the government’s intent to tighten oversight amid rising concerns over the misuse of free speech to disseminate obscene and violent content online. 

In response to a parliamentary panel’s inquiry, the ministry acknowledged growing public unease over digital content that tests the limits of the constitutional right to free expression, as per a PTI report. “Freedom of expression is being misused to showcase obscene and violent content on digital platforms,” it stated in its reply to the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, led by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. 

While existing laws provide some regulatory oversight, the ministry noted increasing calls for a stricter framework, the PTI report added. “This ministry has taken note of these developments and is in the process of examining current statutory provisions and the need for a new legal framework,” the ministry said. 

The apex court also highlighted a legal “vacuum” in regulating digital content, warning that “all kinds of things were going on” on platforms like YouTube. In a hearing on Allahbadia's plea, the court expressed a willingness to act if the government did not. “We would like to do something. If the Government of India willingly do it, we will be very happy. Otherwise, we are not going to leave this vacuum,” the court stated. 

The controversy surrounding Allahbadia’s remarks has fuelled demands for regulatory changes. His comments, widely condemned as offensive, led to criminal cases against him. Though he later apologized, the backlash persisted. The Supreme Court, while granting him protection from arrest, criticized his remarks as “vulgar” and a reflection of a “dirty mind” that “shamed” society. 

The parliamentary committee had asked the ministry on February 13 about necessary amendments to existing laws to address concerns arising from new media platforms. Unlike traditional print and electronic media, which are governed by specific legal provisions, digital platforms — such as YouTube and OTT services — lack a dedicated regulatory framework. This gap has led to repeated demands for stricter controls, despite concerns that new laws could be used to curb content for extraneous reasons. 

With mounting pressure from lawmakers across party lines and the Supreme Court’s intervention, the government has taken up the issue. The ministry has assured the committee that it will submit a detailed note after further deliberations. 

In the meantime, the ministry has issued an advisory to OTT platforms and self-regulatory bodies, instructing them to adhere strictly to the Code of Ethics under the IT Rules, 2021. It also urged self-regulatory bodies to take proactive action against platforms that violate these guidelines.