iWorld
SC favours OTT guidelines, says screening needed
KOLKATA: The Supreme Court on Thursday remarked that there should be pre-censorship of OTT content like films while hearing a plea by Amazon Prime Video India originals head Aparna Purohit. She had moved the apex court challenging Allahabad high court order denying anticipatory bail to her in connection with the Tandav controversy.
"We are of the view that some screening of OTT content should take place,” the bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and S Subhash Reddy said. "In fact, some platforms even show pornography.”
Being informed of the new rules announced by the government to regulate OTT content, the bench directed solicitor-general Tushar Mehta to place the rules on record and circulate it.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Purohit, stated that it was shocking that she, neither a producer, nor an actor, has still been made an accused in the cases against Tandav. The Allahabad high court had rejected Purohit’s bail plea on 25 February, pronouncing that “…the applicant had not been vigilant and has acted irresponsibly making her open to criminal prosecution in permitting streaming of a movie which is against the fundamental rights of the majority of citizens of this country.”
The matter will be again taken up on Friday.
Tandav, which premiered on Amazon Prime in January this year, has been embroiled in a series of controversies. A petition was filed against the makers and actors for hurting religious sentiments by mocking Hindu deities in some scenes of the web series. They were also accused of showing the Uttar Pradesh police in bad light. Multiple complaints – including three FIRs in Uttar Pradesh – were filed against the makers of the show as well as the actors involved.
Yesterday, Amazon Prime Video once again issued an unconditional apology for the “objectionable” scenes in Tandav, and reiterated that all such scenes were deleted or edited.
iWorld
Meta opens Whatsapp to rival AI chatbots in Europe
Company allows access via Business API for 12 months to address EU antitrust concerns.
MUMBAI: Meta just cracked the door for rival AIs on Whatsapp because when regulators knock with antitrust gloves on, even the closed garden lets a few guests in. Meta Platforms will permit rival artificial intelligence chatbots to operate on Whatsapp in Europe for the next 12 months through the Whatsapp Business API, the company announced on 7 March 2026. The move comes in direct response to warnings from the European Commission, which last month signalled possible interim measures after rival complaints that Meta’s restrictions could cause “serious and irreparable harm” to competitors.
Meta had barred non-Meta AI chatbots from the platform on 15 January, limiting users to its own Meta AI assistant. The company will now charge a fee for rival AI services to access the Business API in Europe.
“For the next 12 months, we’ll support general purpose AI chatbots using the Whatsapp Business API in Europe in response to the European Commission’s regulatory process,” a Meta spokesperson said. “We believe that this removes the need for any immediate intervention as it gives the European Commission the time it needs to conclude its investigation.”
The European Commission confirmed it is reviewing whether the policy change impacts its assessment of potential interim measures and its ongoing antitrust probe into Meta.
The Interaction Company of California, developer of the Poke.com AI assistant and one of the complainants to EU and Italian regulators, criticised the proposal, though specific objections were not detailed.
The decision follows earlier action in Italy, where Meta allowed rival AI chatbots on Whatsapp in January after an order from the country’s antitrust authority. The Italian investigation continues.
A similar situation unfolded in Brazil, where Meta said the new policy will also apply after a court reinstated an injunction from the country’s antitrust authority that had been temporarily suspended in January.
Meta has long argued that hosting multiple chatbots strains its systems and that AI providers have alternative distribution channels, including app stores, search engines, email services, operating systems and partnerships.
In a regulatory landscape where closed platforms face growing scrutiny, Meta’s temporary opening isn’t just a concession, it’s a calculated pause, buying time to keep the conversation going while the competition knocks louder.
