'Obscene': Ministry of I&B Blocks 18 OTT Platforms for Vulgar Content

18 OTT platforms have been blocked for obscene and vulgar content after multiple warnings from Union Minister Anurag Thakur.

New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has taken action in coordination with various intermediaries, to block 18 OTT platforms publishing obscene, vulgar, and, in some instances, pornographic content. 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on Google Play Store, 3 on Apple App Store), and 57 social media accounts associated with these platforms have been disabled for public access in India.

The latest press release by the center said that Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur has repeatedly emphasised the responsibility of the platforms to not propagate obscenity, vulgarity and abuse under the guise of 'creative expression'. On March 12, 2024, Thakur announced that 18 OTT platforms publishing obscene and vulgar content have been taken down.

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.

List of Blocked OTT Platforms

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, Prime Play.

Nature of Content

A significant portion of the content hosted on these platforms was found to be obscene, 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.

Significant Viewership

One of the OTT apps amassed more than 1 crore downloads, while two others had over 50 lakh downloads on the Google Play Store. Additionally, these OTT platforms extensively utilized social media to disseminate trailers, specific scenes, and external links aimed at attracting audiences to their websites and apps. The social media accounts of the concerned OTT platforms had a cumulative followership of over 32 lakh users.