Report: Netflix, Disney, Amazon to Challenge India’s Tobacco Rules

According to sources familiar with the matter, Netflix, Amazon, and Disney have discussed a possible legal challenge and other ways to delay India’s new tobacco warning rules. The companies fear they will need to edit millions of hours of existing web content to comply with the regulations. India’s health ministry has ordered streaming platforms to insert static health warnings during smoking scenes within three months. Additionally, India wants at least 50 seconds of anti-tobacco disclaimers, including an audio-visual, at the start and in the middle of each programme. Executives of the three global streaming companies, and India’s Viacom18, held a closed-door meeting where Netflix said the rules would hit customer experience and push production houses to block their content in India. The companies, and India’s health ministry, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.