Photo from Netflix.
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) wanted to include the video content of streaming platforms like Netflix under its umbrella of censorship.
MTRCB’s legal affairs division chief Atty. Jonathan Presquito highlighted in a Senate trade committee hearing on the proposed Internet Transactions Act the importance of regulating several streaming service platforms.
“There is a necessity for us to proceed with the regulation, especially during the lockdown,” Presquito said, noting that the majority of people subscribe to movie streaming services like Netflix, iFlix for their mental health.
“But all of those movies are unrated…,” he said.
He said that regulating these streaming platforms would ensure that the content are compliant with the existing MTRCB law.
“Streaming services like Netflix are video-on-demand platforms. We have to regulate those platforms,” he explained.
Presquito said the video content will be categorized into three: Movies that would be streamed are age-appropriate, prohibited content can’t be seen, and the movies shown online are authorized by the distributors.
He further explained that it is MTRCB’s mandate to review content despite the platforms. And having a policy to review those content is of high importance.
“We want to be guided if we are included in the bill (proposed Internet Transactions Act). Maybe somebody helps (sic) us how we should proceed with the regulation right now of video-on-demand platforms,” he said.
“Because insofar as we are concerned, our working draft is ready. It’s a matter of implementation and there is just a hanging provision pertaining to legislation which we cannot resolve,” he added.
However, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, principal author of the bill, clarified that his bill does not cover the regulation of video content.
“What our proposal intends to do is limited to the buying and selling of video on demand insofar as the content is concerned, whether that is Rated R or Rated 18+, ibang batas na ‘yon talaga (the measure for content review will involve another law),” Gatchalian said.
“It’s not part of this proposed law because that’s a whole new different dimension altogether,” he added.
Presquito insisted that there are existing policies for Netflix content in other countries, citing South Korea’s policy that reviews the content of the said streaming platform giant.
“We want an environment of growth and, in fact, during our engagement with different regulators in the [Southeast Asian] region, the commonality is let’s allow the streaming service to flourish but how [do we] balance that with the regulatory mechanisms,” he said.
Presquito pushed that MTRCB law covers all motion picture content even in other platforms.
“If the entity selling the material, then that entity first must be registered with the MTRCB and second the material being sold must be duly passed upon by the MTRCB. Otherwise, it is a clear violation of the MTRCB law,” he added. RJ Espartinez