In a strong move against rising concerns over vulgar and obscene content on streaming platforms, the Government of India has banned several OTT platforms, including popular names like Ullu, ALTT, Desiflix, and others. These platforms were found to be violating decency laws, spreading adult content under the cover of “web series”. This action marks a serious warning to digital platforms about the need for responsible content sharing. Here’s all we know about this story.
The Indian government has blocked around 25 OTT apps and websites, including well-known platforms such as Ullu and ALTT (formerly AltBalaji), along with others like Big Shots and Desiflix. These platforms had a massive viewer base and were easily available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Some of them had even crossed over 1 crore downloads.
According to officials, the content streamed on these platforms was often vulgar, sexually explicit, and lacked artistic or social value. The ban comes after multiple complaints from the public, activists, and members of Parliament who criticised these apps for spreading “soft porn”.
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), took the decision after several warnings were ignored. Union Minister Anurag Thakur had earlier stressed that OTT platforms must not misuse freedom of expression by spreading vulgarity or promoting abuse.
On March 12, 2024, the I&B Ministry confirmed that 18 OTT platforms, along with 19 websites, 10 mobile apps, and 57 social media handles, were blocked. The blocked content was found to be in violation of the IT Act, 2000, the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
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Here’s the list of the OTT platforms banned by the Indian government for obscene content:
The government stated that many of these apps showed inappropriate scenes involving sensitive topics like teacher-student relationships and family-based adult plots, which can have a deep psychological impact, especially on young viewers.
The authorities have also disabled social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube) that were being used to promote trailers and drive traffic to these platforms.
This major crackdown shows the government’s firm stand against indecency in digital media. While freedom of expression is important, it must not come at the cost of social responsibility and public morality. The move also highlights the need for better self-regulation by OTT platforms, stricter content moderation, and awareness among viewers, especially younger users.
Image Credits: Freepik, Ullu, Altt, Mojiflix
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