Govt disabled 50 OTT platforms in two years as it strengthens online safety measures: MeitY
New Delhi, July 22
The government has disabled public access to 50 OTT platforms over the last two years for displaying obscene content and violating provisions of the Information Technology Act and other laws, as it continues to strengthen measures for online safety, digital well-being and child protection, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government's policies are aimed at ensuring "an Open, Safe, Trusted and Accountable Internet for its users, including children."
The ministry said recent amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 require social media platforms and other intermediaries to remove unlawful content within three hours of receiving an order from a competent court or a reasoned direction from the appropriate government or its authorised agency.
It also highlighted the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which mandates parental consent for processing children's personal data and prohibits practices such as tracking, behavioural monitoring and targeted advertising directed at children.
The government said the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 is another step aimed at addressing digital addiction and financial harm among the youth.
Citing the Economic Survey 2025-26, the ministry said digital addiction has emerged as a serious public health challenge affecting children and youth, with impacts on cognitive development, academic performance, workplace productivity, mental health and financial well-being.
To strengthen cyber awareness, the government said it has conducted 6,650 Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) workshops, reaching more than 11.37 lakh participants, including students, teachers, law enforcement personnel and government officials. It added that awareness initiatives are also being carried out through CERT-In, CBSE and NCERT to promote cyber hygiene and online safety, particularly among children.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I get the intent, but 50 platforms in two years feels heavy-handed. There's a fine line between protecting users and censorship. What about adult consenting adults who choose to watch such content? The 3-hour takedown rule also seems impractical for smaller platforms. Need more balance in approach.
I'm all for child safety, but the Economic Survey calling digital addiction a "serious public health challenge" is an overreach. My generation grew up with TV, now it's OTT. The real issue is lack of digital literacy among parents, not the platforms themselves. ISEA workshops should focus more on parental guidance than banning content.
Finally! These so-called "OTT platforms" were just soft porn in many cases. I saw one disguised as a cooking show - absolutely nonsense. The government should go after the big streaming giants too for the same standards. Also, good on the data protection law for kids. My son keeps getting ads for mobile games that want his data. 👍
I appreciate the government's concern for digital well-being, but 6,650 ISEA workshops reaching 11 lakh people sounds impressive until you consider India's 900+ million internet users. It's a drop in the ocean. We need mass awareness campaigns in multiple languages, especially in rural areas where children access the internet through smartphones without supervision.
I understand the need for regulations, but banning platforms left and right won't solve the root problem. Kids will find alternative sources - Telegram groups, WhatsApp, even VPNs. The government should focus on strengthening parental controls at the device level and teaching critical thinking rather
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