Govt Blocks 5 OTT Platforms for Obscene Content, Cites Legal Violations

The platforms identified include MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro, Digi Movieplex, Feel, and Jugnu, which allegedly hosted obscene content.

The IT Act and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021), together, have put in place a stringent framework to deal with unlawful and harmful content in the digital space.

It imposes clear obligations on intermediaries to ensure accountability.

In July of 2025, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) ordered the blocking of 25 over-the-top (OTT) platforms for allegedly publishing obscene, vulgar and, in some cases, pornographic material. The directive was issued on July 23, 2025, in consultation with multiple government departments and civil society stakeholders, according to sources. The platforms in question, which include Ullu, ALTT, Big Shots App, NeonX VIP, and Desiflix among others, were found to be disseminating content that violated several provisions of Indian law, including Section 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.

In total, 26 websites and 14 mobile applications--9 listed on Google Play Store and 5 on the Apple App Store--have been ordered to be disabled by intermediaries under provisions of the IT Act, 2000 and the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. According to the sources, the Ministry said that much of the content showcased by these platforms involved graphic sexual innuendos, long sequences of nudity, and pornographic visuals. "There was hardly any storyline, theme, or message in a social context," it said.

Some content was also found to depict inappropriate sexual situations involving family relationships, further aggravating concerns over legality and decency. The government had several rounds of communication with the platforms. In September 2024, all 25 platforms had received official warnings. Prior to this, in February 2025, the Ministry had issued an advisory urging OTT platforms to comply with India's obscenity laws and the Code of Ethics prescribed under the IT Rules, 2021. Yet, the platforms allegedly continued to host and stream objectionable content. In one notable example, the series 'House Arrest' hosted on the Ullu platform was taken down in May following the Ministry's intervention. However, the government alleges that certain platforms have continued their operations by creating new domains even after previous blocking orders--five such platforms reportedly resumed publishing similar content after being blocked in March 2024.

The action was taken in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Department of Legal Affairs (DoLA), industry associations FICCI and CII, and subject experts in the fields of women and child rights.Mentioning that previously the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC), a self-regulatory body headed by a former Supreme Court judge, found that content in edited on ALTT was "totally distasteful and bizarre," with sex and nudity being shown without any contextual justification.

Similarly, over 100 webseries were also removed from the Ullu platform, with the council finding that the platform removed or edited the wesbseries temporarily and then uploads the unedited versions after a while to circumvent the warnings.Several of the platforms had previously drawn the attention of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which flagged Ullu and ALTT for alleged violations in July and August 2024.

The Ministry also received multiple public grievances about the content hosted on these platforms.

- ANI