BENGALURU/NEW DELHI - India unveiled guidelines on Wednesday requiring streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to display prominent warnings about smoking and other forms of tobacco use while airing shows with such scenes.
The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Amendment Rules, 2023 made it mandatory for such platforms to display "anti-tobacco health spots" of at least 30 seconds each at the start and middle of a programme, a notice from the health ministry showed. The stringent laws come after a survey by the World Health Organisation found that nearly 267 million Indians of age 15 and above consume tobacco.
The amendment further states that the federal government will take suo moto action against streaming sites if they fail to adhere to the new rules.