Government Blocks 18 OTT Platforms for Obscene Content
Mar 15, 2024: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has taken stringent action against 18 OTT platforms for disseminating obscene, vulgar, and in some cases, pornographic content. Following multiple warnings from Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, these platforms have been blocked nationwide, along with associated websites, apps, and social media handles.
Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, has emphasized the responsibility of OTT platforms to refrain from promoting obscenity and vulgarity under the guise of creative expression. The decision to block these platforms was made under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, in consultation with various ministries/departments of the Government of India and domain experts.
Here is a list of the blocked OTT platforms:
- Dreams Films
- Voovi
- Yessma
- Uncut Adda
- Tri Flicks
- X Prime
- Neon X VIP
- Besharams
- Hunters
- Rabbit
- Xtramood
- Nuefliks
- MoodX
- Mojflix
- Hot Shots VIP
- Fugi
- Chikooflix
- Prime Play
The content hosted on these platforms was found to be objectionable, portraying women in a demeaning manner, and containing nudity and explicit sexual acts. This content violates various laws including the Information Technology Act, Indian Penal Code, and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
The Government has noted that one of the blocked OTT apps had over 1 crore downloads, indicating significant viewership. Additionally, these platforms heavily utilized social media to attract audiences, with a cumulative followership of over 32 lakh users across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
The Ministry of I&B has been actively engaged in sensitizing OTT platforms and their self-regulatory bodies established under the IT Rules, 2021. Despite these efforts, platforms continued to violate regulations, leading to the current action.
While the Government remains committed to fostering the growth of the OTT industry, it stresses the importance of responsible content creation and adherence to regulatory frameworks.
