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Content Standards (India)

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Banned Content

Amazon cannot facilitate access to any banned, illegal, prohibited and/or unconstitutional content as determined by the Indian government, Indian state and/or local governments, or the Indian courts.

Depiction of State / Anti-National Content

Producers should consider the following factors when deciding whether to include any content, in each case using due caution and discretion:

  • Content which affects the sovereignty and integrity of India
  • Content which threatens, endangers or jeopardizes the security of the State
  • Content which is detrimental to India’s friendly relations with foreign countries
  • Content which is likely to incite violence or disturb the maintenance of public order.

Any depictions or dialogue that may be perceived as a public comment on border disputes are not permissible. Incorrect depictions of the map of India are not permitted. [http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in/downloads] Producers must ensure that only the maps that have been approved/issued by the Survey of India, an organization under the Government of India are used. Depictions of Border States like Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir should be as defined per the government of India. Depictions of historical pre-partition maps are permissible.

Depictions of Public Servants, Constitutional Officers and
Public Institutions

  • Disrespectful representations of characters who are presently or who have in the past served in the defence forces, the police, constitutional offices, or other government agencies, are not permissible.
  • Any depictions or dialogue that may be perceived as a public comment on government institutions or actual public officials are not permissible.

Statements or Acts of Hatred and Contempt against the
Indian Government and/or Indian Judiciary

Disparaging portrayals and statements about the Indian judiciary (e.g., perjury is the order of the day in Indian Courts) are not permissible. This includes:

  • Depiction of statements or acts of hatred and contempt against the Indian government/Judiciary.
  • Content that incites armed rebellion against the government.
  • Comments / criticism expressing disapproval of the measures of the Government, or of the administrative or other action of the Government are permissible however, the same is subject to contextual review. Comments which are disparaging of an impending court result.
  • Content that may affect the outcome of pending judicial matters i.e., sub-judice matters.
  • Content that may be violative of secrecy in terms of information protectable under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

National Symbols and National Emblems

  • Incorrect/offensive/disrespectful depictions of the Indian national flag and depictions of content that is against the Flag code of India is not permissible. Disrespecting the flag means to burn, mutilate, deface, defile, disfigure, destroy, trample upon, or disrespect through expletives. Draping of national flag below the waist, showing the flag upside down, or with inscriptions on the Indian flag is also not permitted.
  • Depiction of or showing a performance of an incorrect version of the national anthem of India is not permissible.
  • Depictions of burning, mutilating, defacing, defiling, disfiguring, destruction, trampling upon the Constitution of India or bringing the Constitution of India into contempt whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts are prohibited.
  • Disrespectful depictions of any National Emblem or National Symbol of India, including, without limitation, the Ashoka Chakra is not permissible.
  • Inaccurate or biased depictions of national issues like public disturbances/riots (e.g., the Godhara riots 2002 or Hindu- Muslim religious riots) or the Kashmir issue or water disputes are not permissible.
  • Factual depictions of past riots/communal events that are sensitive topics in India must contain a balanced narrative and are subject to contextual review. For example: ISIS – Terror in Asia is a documentary that showcases stories of the few men who have gone to Syria and Iraq and uncover the reasons behind - and the tragic consequences - of their radicalization. Since it does not speak out against a religion it is permissible as based on facts.
  • Depictions or dialogue that threaten to incite or advocate communal riots are not permissible and any depictions or dialogue that may be perceived as making disrespectful commentary on such events is not permissible.

Depictions of Other Tragic Real-life Events

  • Depictions of real-life tragic events, including natural disasters, war, terror attacks, and accidents, that have caused significant trauma or loss of life, are subject to contextual review and should not be satirized.
  • Any depictions or dialogue that may be perceived as making disrespectful commentary on such events are not permissible.

Culturally Sensitive Content

  • Depictions or dialogue that may be perceived as justifying or condoning bigoted and hateful opinions are not permissible. Producers should take into consideration India‘s multi-racial and multi-religious context when portraying the activities, beliefs, practices, or views of any racial or religious group. Tokenization of any group for the purpose of showcasing diversity in storylines is not a substitute for organic representation.
  • Glorification of universally reviled positions taken by real-life persons or depictions are prohibited. For instance, a series which aims to justify genocidal actions by a real-life person would not be permissible because it is universally accepted that their actions were reprehensible.
  • Disrespectful depictions or dialogue of the physical attributes/social customs/practices of any ethnic, linguistic, religious groups, castes or communities are not permissible.
  • Disrespectful depictions or dialogue of a member of a scheduled caste / tribe or that may be perceived as justifying or condoning caste-based discrimination and harmful stereotypes are not permissible. Dialogue which may be considered as an insult or ridicule, but which is unconnected to the person being from a scheduled caste / tribe is permissible.
  • The use of caste-based surnames in any fictional work is not permissible when done in a disrespectful manner and care must be taken when fictionalizing caste-based surnames as they also may double as slurs in several parts of the country and could perpetuate negative stereotypes.
  • Depictions of mutilation/destruction of any religious place of worship/institution or contain a call to action to destroy, damage or defile, or incite hatred towards any place of worship or any object held sacred by any religious groups/class of persons are not permissible.
  • Disrespectful depictions of any deity, persons revered akin to gods (e.g., Sikh gurus), religious ritual, or community / religious symbols, including caricatures (e.g., caricatures of Lord Ganesh, Prophet Muhammed, Guru Nanak Dev, etc.) and defilement (e.g., burning the Quran) are not permissible.
  • Depictions advocating/justifying/celebrating forced religious conversions are not permissible. Factual representation of such events is permissible, however, subject to contextual review.
  • Depictions or dialogue attacking religions or communities are subject to contextual review.
  • Depictions or dialogue that may incite hatred or conflict between two or more classes, communities, religions, castes are not permissible.
  • Depictions or dialogue that can offend certain segments of India’s population or public sentiment (e.g., depiction of cow slaughter or causing intentional harm to a cow) will be subject to contextual review.
  • Jokes about self-harm/suicide or glorification of these acts are not permissible and programs produced for a family audience should not contain graphic depictions of suicide/self-harm.

Obscenity, Sexuality, and Nudity

  • Obscene content is unacceptable and illegal. A scene may fall in this category if it depicts sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, and the average person looking at it would say, on the whole, that it appeals to prurient or excessive sexual interest. Content that has serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value is not obscene. Producers should scrutinize these matters in the specific context of their shows, as the determination of risk can be based on subjective parameters and will require contextual review.
  • Depictions of sex acts are generally acceptable if they are notso continuous and graphic that a viewercould reasonably assumethey aim solelyto arouse and that, taken as a whole, the work lacks any serious artistic merit and/or context. As set forth above, the depiction of genitals is not permitted. Partial nudity (no genitals) may be permitted subject to contextual review of scripts and cuts.
  • Content containing depiction(s) of unobscured genitalia is not permissible. This includes the depiction of newborn child genitalia. This absolute prohibition applies to India Local Originals only. The depiction of unobscured genitalia in a non-sexual context is permitted in US Originals or Local Originals produced for other territories that are exhibited in India.
  • Depiction of sexual handling (Oral sex, masturbation, sexual intercourse) of animal genitalia is not permissible.
  • Subject to contextual review, tribal nudity that does not depict genitalia (man, woman, or child) is permissible in a non-sexual context if the primary purpose is educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic, and is not gratuitously graphic and not the focal point of the depiction.
  • Actual usage of sex toys by people on visible genitalia is not permissible, but depiction of sex toys in the background, or discussion of sex toys is permissible, subject to any other Content Guidelines.
  • The depiction of pubic hair and genitalia is not permissible during acts of oral sex, masturbation, sexually violent scenes, or sex scenes.

Indecent Representation of Women

  • Depiction in any manner of the figure of a woman, her form or body or any part thereof in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent, gratuitous, derogatory to, or denigrating, women (including the objectification of women in the guise of depicting sexual intimacy), or in a manner which is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals is not permissible.
  • Depictions of sexual harassment and violence against women that are prurient or gratuitous are not permissible.
  • The use of gendered/sexual profanity that is excessive or gratuitous is not permissible.
  • Actual public figures such as politicians and celebrities, religious leaders and other groups of people shall not be depicted as perpetrating acts of violence against women. These characters should be fictionalised to the greatest extent possible and the use of religious leaders in such roles is subject to contextual review.

Profanity

  • The gratuitous use of profanity is not permissible.

Tobacco and Alcohol Branding

Depictions and/or verbal references to any branded tobacco-based products or accessories (e.g., Beedi, khaini, zarda, cigarette, cigarette filters, rolling papers, smoking apparatus) or alcohol is not permissible. This prohibition applies to India Local Originals only, and not to US Originals or Local Originals produced for other territories exhibited in India. Fictional brand usage is permissible, and actual depictions of smoking and drinking scenes are permissible however, there should not be glamorization or glorification of smoking, drinking or drug consumption.

Depictions of and Working with Minors

Producers should comply with all laws and regulations pertaining to minors, including the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights guidelines to regulate child participation in TV serials, reality shows and advertisements. All minors engaged must have a signed parental consent by both parents. Regarding content featuring minor actors:

  • No child should be shown to be imbibing alcohol, smoking, or using any other substance or shown to be indulging in any sort of antisocial activity and delinquent behaviour. In the event that doing so is relevant to the overall plot/storyline – care must be taken to ensure that actual consumption is off-camera, i.e., the camera shall cut away before a cigarette is lit or a sip of alcohol is taken.
  • Minors shall not be depicted as using sexually explicit language or excessive profanity(even if these roles are played by adult actors) and no actual minor should be made to perform or enact scenes or mouth dialogues that are inappropriate for his/her age or those that may cause him/her distress. The standards for “excessive” profanity are subject to contextual review.
  • No child should be engaged in any situation involving nudity (either of the child or another person). Content dealing with sexually suggestive themes or overt sexual acts between minors (even if these roles are played by adult actors) should not be explicit and should not be marketed or promoted to under-age viewers.
  • When content is based on victims of child abuse, the content should be sensitively handled, and the way children are depicted should not harm or risk their welfare.
  • Scenes depicting violence (verbal or physical) against minors by adults and scenes depicting sexual violence between minors or against minors by adults should not be depicted overtly or in any graphic detail.

Product Placement

In addition to the product categories identified in the Program Compliance Guidelines, product placement is not permitted in the following categories in India:

  • Milk substitutes or milk feeding bottles for infants
  • Prize chit and money circulation schemes
  • Services promoting the sale of human organs
  • Services for pre-natal determination of sex
  • Magic remedies, i.e., any talisman, mantra, amulet, or other objects that are claimed to have miraculous powers to treat diseases in humans or animals
  • Sex Toys
  • Escort Services
  • Gambling and Betting products/services
  • Tobacco products, alcohol, and drugs
  • Pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices (regulated)
  • Medical services (doctors/physicians)
  • Legal services

Producers of Local Originals should consult with counsel before including any product placements. Amazon Studios Legal must pre-approve in writing to the Producer any product placements in the following categories:

  • Food products & supplements
  • Products or services of a sexual nature (e.g., condoms, lingerie)
  • Political candidates, political platforms, political parties, and political issues