The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has banned 25 Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, including popular names like Ullu, ALTT, Desiflix, and Big Shots, for allegedly streaming sexually explicit content that violates Indian laws and cultural norms. Internet service providers (ISPs) have been directed to block public access to these platforms across the country.
Legal Grounds for the Ban
According to reports, the banned platforms were found to be in violation of several legal provisions:
- Section 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 – which criminalise publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form, including sexually explicit acts.
- Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 – which penalises obscene acts and songs in public.
- Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 – which prohibits the depiction of women in an indecent or derogatory manner.
Legal experts say these restrictions are well within the ambit of Indian law. Gaurav Sahay, founding partner at Arthashastra Legal, noted, “Any depiction that degrades or objectifies women through media is a basis to ban platforms, especially for obscene portrayal of women.”
He added that the law permits reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech and expression, particularly when it comes to public morality.
Full List of Banned OTT Platforms
The banned platforms include:
ALTT, ULLU, Big Shots App, Desiflix, Boomex, Navarasa Lite, Gulab App, Kangan App, Bull App, Jalva App, Wow Entertainment, Look Entertainment, Hitprime, Feneo, ShowX, Sol Talkies, Adda TV, HotX VIP, Hulchul App, MoodX, NeonX VIP, Fugi, Mojflix, and Triflicks.
The MIB emphasised that under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, intermediaries must act promptly once notified of unlawful content. Failure to do so removes the legal immunity they usually enjoy.
Supreme Court’s Concern and Legislative Push
This crackdown follows recent comments by the Supreme Court, which in April urged the Centre to take legislative steps to regulate obscene content on OTT platforms and social media. The Centre informed the court that new regulations are under active consideration.
Responses have also been sought from major OTT and tech companies including Netflix, Amazon Prime, AltBalaji, Ullu Digital, Mubi, X (formerly Twitter), Google, Meta, and Apple, in connection with a public interest litigation seeking stricter content regulation.
What This Means Going Forward
The move marks one of the biggest regulatory crackdowns on OTT platforms in India and signals the government’s growing scrutiny of digital content. While larger platforms have been under pressure to implement self-regulation, this latest step shows that smaller, fringe platforms may no longer fly under the radar.
The government has not ruled out further action and has reiterated that content on digital platforms must adhere to Indian laws, public decency, and cultural standards.
