Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has demanded the censorship of OTT (Over The Top) streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, alleging the sites are inciting violence and crimes against women and children.

In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Kumar said that these sites need to be censored so that viewers do not get access to any ‘inappropriate content’.

He also suggested an amendment to the Cinematograph Act of 1952, which he said does not clearly define ‘public exhibition’ of films and whether certification is needed for private viewing, NDTV reported.

‘There are several service providers which are streaming movies and shows for their customers. However, since no censorship applies to these platforms, they often contain excessive violence and sexual acts,’ the letter read.

He complained that people were being exposed to ‘vulgar and objectionable content’, that had a serious effect on the minds of the viewer.

This is the second letter by Nitish Kumar, apart from the one written in December 19′, demanding a ban on pornographic websites and other inappropriate content on the internet, citing its adverse effect on the mental health of youths and leading to crime.

Kumar said that such platforms have gained massive popularity among consumers because they are cheaper than Direct to Home (DTH) and cable services.

‘As there is less clarity on legal provisions binding on the content aired through streaming services, uncensored stuff is getting aired without much advertisements in such programmes,’ the CM said.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed online platforms to set up self-regulatory code within 100 days, similar to the institutional model followed by traditional media, citing the example of streaming platforms in China, France and Singapore who abide by government regulations for streaming content.

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