Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC)

About the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC):

• It is an independent self-regulatory body for Online Curated Content (OCC) providers.
• It was set up under the aegis of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
• DPCGC has been recognised and registered by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting as Level II Self-Regulatory Body for publishers of OCC providers, under Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
• The DPCGC has an Online Curated Content Publishers (OCCP) Council composed of publishers of OCC as members and an independent Grievance Redressal Board [GRB] consisting of a chairperson and six members.
• The GRB will be chaired by a retired Supreme Court/High Court judge, and the members will comprise eminent persons from the media and entertainment industry and experts from various fields, including child rights, minority rights, and media law.
• Functions of GRB:
  • It will oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence to the Code of Ethics by the OCCP Council members.
  • Provide guidance to entities on the Code of Ethics.
  • Address grievances that have not been resolved by the publisher within 15 days.
  • Hear grievances/appeals filed by complainants.
• DPCGC, through the GRB aims to usher in a redressal mechanism which will ensure a balance between addressing viewer complaints and showcasing content in free-speech environment without ad-hoc interventions

What is Online Curated Content (OCC) Platforms?

• OCC Platforms are companies that carry on the business which curates and presents a wide variety of content by means of online video-on-demand platforms. 
• Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, Zee5, etc, are examples of OOC Platforms operating in India. 
• These platforms operate on the basis of a “pull model”, whereby customers have the choice of viewing content as per their own convenience.