Central Government blocks 18 OTT platforms for publishing vulgar content

New Delhi, March 14

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.

In all, 19 websites, 10 apps (seven on Google Play Store, three on Apple App Store), and 57 social media accounts associated with these platforms have been disabled for public access in India, the Ministry said on Thursday.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur has repeatedly emphasised the responsibility of the platforms not to propagate obscenity, vulgarity and abuse under the guise of ‘creative expression’.

The recent decision was taken under the provisions of the Information Technology Act in consultation with other Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, and domain experts specialising in media and entertainment, women’s rights, and child rights.

A significant portion of the content hosted on these platforms was found to be obscene, vulgar, and it 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 Sections 67 and 67-A 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 two others had over 50 lakh downloads on the Google Play Store. Additionally, these OTT platforms extensively utilised 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 OTT platforms concerned had a cumulative followership of over 32 lakh users.

The Government of India remains committed to fostering the growth and development of the OTT industry, said the Ministry, adding that several measures had been undertaken, including the introduction of the Inaugural OTT Award for Web Series at the 54th International Film Festival of India, collaboration with OTT platforms in the media and entertainment sector, and the establishment of a light touch regulatory framework with an emphasis on self-regulation under the IT Rules, 2021.