I&B Ministry Blocks 18 OTT Platforms For 'Obscene, Vulgar' Content

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has taken strict action to curb the proliferation of "obscene, vulgar, and, in some instances, pornographic" content on OTT platforms. Following the multiple warnings issued by Union Minister Anurag Thakur, the Ministry of I&B has blocked 18 OTT platforms for publishing objectionable content.

List of OTT platforms blocked

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), issued a statement stating, "The recent decision was taken under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 in consultation with other Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, and domain experts specializing in media and entertainment, women's rights, and child rights."

19 websites, 10 apps, 57 social media handles of OTT platforms have been blocked nationwide in violation of IT Act, Indian Penal Code, and Indecent representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. 

The platforms which have been blocked are: Dreams Films, Neon X VIP, MoodX, Voovi, Besharams, Mojflix, Yessma, Hunters, Hot Shots VIP, Uncut Adda, Rabbit, Fugi, Tri Flicks, Xtramood, Chikooflix, X Prime, Nuefliks and Prime Play.

A significant portion of the content hosted on these platforms was found to be obscene, and vulgar, and portrayed women in a demeaning manner. It depicted nudity and sexual acts in various inappropriate contexts, such as relationships between teachers and students, incestuous family relationships, etc. The content included sexual innuendos and, in some instances, prolonged segments of pornographic and sexually explicit scenes devoid of any thematic or societal relevance.

The content was determined to be prima facie in violation of Section 67 and 67A of the IT Act, Section 292 of the IPC, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. 

One of the OTT apps amassed more than 1 crore downloads, while tiro others had over 50 lakh downloads on the Google play store. The social media accounts of the concered OTT platforms had a cumulative followership of over 32 lakh users.

Ministry of I&B banned three OTT platforms last year

This is not the first time that the Ministry of I&B has banned the OTT platforms owing to obscene content. Last year, they cracked down on three platforms - Hunters, Besharams and Prime Play - to pan their shows or movies showcasing sensitive content. This move underscores the Ministry of I&B's commitment to consistently regulate sensitisation efforts with OTT platforms.