The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has implemented measures to restrict access to 18 OTT platforms due to allegations of disseminating obscene and vulgar content. Additionally, 19 associated websites, 10 applications, and 57 social media profiles linked with these platforms have been blocked nationwide.
These actions were carried out in collaboration with various intermediaries, citing violations of the Information Technology Act, Indian Penal Code, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. The Ministry noted that while seven of the banned apps were available on the Google Play Store, three were accessible via the Apple App Store.
Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Anurag Singh Thakur, has underscored the obligation of platforms to refrain from promoting obscenity, vulgarity, and abuse disguised as ‘creative expression’. On March 12, 2024, Mr. Thakur announced the removal of 18 OTT platforms engaged in disseminating obscene and vulgar content.
The list of blocked OTT platforms includes 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, and Prime Play. According to the Ministry, a substantial portion of the content hosted on these platforms was deemed obscene, vulgar, and portrayed women in a derogatory light.
The content allegedly depicted nudity and sexual acts in inappropriate contexts such as teacher-student relationships and incestuous family dynamics. Moreover, it contained sexual innuendos and prolonged segments of pornographic and sexually explicit scenes devoid of any thematic or societal relevance.
One of the OTT apps had garnered over 10 million downloads, while two others exceeded 5 million downloads on the Google Play Store. Furthermore, these platforms extensively utilized social media channels to disseminate trailers, specific scenes, and external links to attract audiences. The social media accounts associated with these platforms collectively had over 3.2 million followers, spread across Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
