The Government of India has taken action against 18 OTT (Over-the-Top) platforms due to concerns over obscene and vulgar content. Anurag Thakur, the Union I&B minister, announced the ban after repeated warnings. Alongside these platforms, 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on Google Play Store and 3 on Apple App Store), and 57 social media handles associated with the OTT platforms have been restricted across the nation.
The decision was made following the discovery of inappropriate content on these platforms, violating the IT Act, Indian Penal Code, and Indecent Representation of Women laws. Despite having a significant number of followers on social media, the content they shared was deemed unsuitable for public consumption.
These OTT platforms were found to extensively use social media to promote their content, including trailers, specific scenes, and external links, to attract more viewers to their websites and apps.
The banned platforms include 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.
The ministry highlighted that the content hosted on these platforms often depicted nudity, sexual acts, and portrayed women in a demeaning manner. It included themes such as inappropriate relationships between teachers and students, incestuous family dynamics, and other sexually explicit scenarios lacking thematic or societal relevance.
In response to these findings, the government deemed it necessary to take action to protect the public from exposure to such content, especially considering the widespread availability and accessibility of these platforms. The decision reflects the government’s commitment to uphold moral and societal values in the digital space.
