Mozilla applauds the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for its decision to maintain the existing regulatory framework for OTT services in India. The regulation of OTT services sparked the fight for net neutrality in India in 2015, leading to over a million Indians asking TRAI to #SaveTheInternet and over time becoming one of the most successful grassroots campaigns in the history of digital activism. Mozilla’s CEO, Mitchell Baker, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Modi at the time stating: “We stand firm in the belief that all users should be able to experience the full diversity of the Web. For this to be possible, Internet Service Providers must treat all content transmitted over the Internet equally, regardless of the sender or the receiver.”
Since then, as we have stated in public consultations in both 2015 and 2019, we believe that imposing a new uniform regulatory framework for OTT services, akin to how telecom operators are governed, would irredeemably harm the internet ecosystem in India. It would create legal uncertainty, chill innovation, undermine security best practices, and eventually, hurt the promise of Digital India. TRAI’s thoughtful and considered approach to the topic sets an example for regulators across the world and helps mitigate many of these concerns. It is a historical step for a country which already has among the strongest net neutrality regulations in the world. We look forward to continuing to work with TRAI to create a progressive regulatory framework for the internet ecosystem in India.