'Direct threat to freedom of speech,' Opposition blasts Indian govt over broadcasting bill

Indian opposition parties have launched a renewed campaign against the proposedBroadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, calling it "a direct threat” to freedom of speech. The matter was brought to public attention byTrinamool Congress'Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar, who claimed a revised version of the bill was being circulated among business holders and stakeholders and the Parliament was being kept in the dark.

Notably, the first draft of the bill was released last year, which came under intense criticism from the opposition parties.

"TheModi government suppresses truth from Parliament — but shares information with business houses and 'stakeholders'," the TMC MP wrote in a post on X.

"The government has revised the Broadcasting Bill and has circulated it secretly -- yet it refuses to say this. It avoids the rest of the question -- as no democratic country has such a draconian law," Sircar further wrote.

His criticism came afterMinister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw claimed in Parliament that the bill was still being drafted.

Concerns

It's been reported that the new bill will empower the government to defineInstagram influencers and Youtubers as"digital news broadcasters".

The content creators will reportedly have to notify the government about their presence within a month of the law's enactment.

They may also have to registerunder a three-tier regulatory framework similar to OTT services such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

Additionally, they may be required to form a"content evaluation committee" that would be responsible for screening the content before it goes live. If such a committee is not formed, the creators may have to face criminal liability.

Congress speaks up against the bill

India's main opposition, the Congress party, on Friday (Aug 2) also voiced its criticism, saying“increased government control over content creators, from social media influencers to independent news outlets, threatens the independence of the press and restricts free speech”.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, “The bill labels anyone uploading videos, making podcasts, or writing about current affairs as ‘digital news broadcasters’. This could unnecessarily regulate individuals and small teams providing independent news coverage.”

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“The bill imposes heavy regulatory burdens on small content creators, treating them like large media corporations. Many independent journalists lack resources to comply, leading to potential shutdowns,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)