Special Correspondent
New Delhi: In a sweeping crackdown on obscenity and pornographic material being streamed online, the Central Government has ordered an immediate ban on 25 OTT platforms and mobile apps, including popular names like Ullu, Desiflix, AltPlay, and BigShots. The decision was taken following consultations with multiple ministries and stakeholders, citing persistent violations of content norms and failure to comply with prior warnings.
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), after coordinated consultations with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women & Child Development, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Law Ministry, and industry bodies such as FICCI and CII, has invoked provisions under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and IT Rules 2021 to enforce the ban. Internet service providers have also been instructed to block access to these platforms immediately.
Alarming Rise in Obscene OTT Content Post-2020
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, as OTT platforms surged in popularity, several lesser-known platforms emerged that started broadcasting highly objectionable adult content. One such example was MX Player, which in July 2020 recorded over 11 million views in a single day for an adult comedy show. This triggered concerns over the unregulated nature of OTT content and its easy accessibility to minors.
Officials noted that the banned platforms regularly featured explicit sex scenes, vulgar dialogues, and suggestive themes, often with little or no storyline or social message. The content was deemed not just inappropriate but exploitative and potentially harmful, especially to children and young viewers.
Over the past year, the I&B Ministry reportedly received hundreds of public complaints, many submitted by parents, legal experts, and social activists, regarding the increasing proliferation of semi-pornographic content via mobile apps.
Repeated Warnings Ignored by Platforms
In September 2024, the government had already issued a formal advisory to all 25 platforms, instructing them to remove or cease hosting explicit, obscene, or pornographic content. However, the majority of the platforms either ignored the directives or tried to circumvent them by shifting to new domain names or altering minor elements of the content while retaining the explicit themes.
One notable case includes Ullu’s controversial web series House Arrest, which was taken down in May 2024 following complaints, but other series with similar content were released shortly after under different names or branding. Officials also revealed that five apps were previously banned in March 2024, but they later resurfaced under new identities, prompting the government to adopt a more stringent stance this time.
Complete List of Banned OTT Platforms
The banned apps and platforms include:
Ullu
AltPlay
Desiflix
BigShots App
Boomex
Navras Light
Gulab App
Kangan App
Bool App
Jal App
Shohit
Wow Entertainment
Look Entertainment
HitPrime
Fenio
ShowX
Soul Talkies
Adda TV
H-X VIP
Hulchul App
MoodX
Neon X VIP
Furg Mojflix
Treeflix
Digital Safety and Future Regulatory Measures
The action is being seen as part of a broader push by the government to clean up the digital ecosystem and ensure OTT content adheres to cultural norms, legal boundaries, and child protection standards. Sources suggest that the Ministry of I&B is now working on stricter digital content guidelines, including mandatory age-based ratings, AI content filters, and fast-track grievance redressal systems.
This latest crackdown sends a strong message to rogue digital content providers that unregulated and objectionable material will not be tolerated. The government has urged other OTT platforms to act responsibly and align their content strategies with the guidelines laid out under Indian law, failing which, similar action may be taken against them as well.
