The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting takes action against obscene content on OTT platforms.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur has taken decisive action, blocking 18 OTT platforms due to repeated violations of decency laws. This move, targeting 19 websites, 10 apps, and 57 social media handles, comes in response to content breaching the IT Act, Indian Penal Code, and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.

List of OTT Platforms

1. Dreams Films
2. Voovi
3. Yessma
4. Uncut Adda
5. Tri Flicks
6. X Prime
7. Neon X VIP
8. Besharams
9. Hunters
10. Rabbit
11. Xtramood
12. Nuefliks
13. MoodX
14. Mojflix
15. Hot Shots VIP
16. Fugi
17. Chikooflix
18. 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.

Legal Violations:

The content in question was prima facie in violation of several legal provisions, including Section 67 and 67A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. These laws are in place to safeguard against the dissemination of obscene material, protect the dignity of women, and maintain public decency.

OTT Platforms Garner Massive Viewership and Social Media Following

Based on the provided data, the OTT platforms have significant viewership, with one app surpassing 1 crore downloads and two others exceeding 50 lakh downloads on the Google Play Store. Additionally, their social media strategy has been robust, with a cumulative followership of over 32 lakh users across Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.