In a sweeping crackdown on objectionable digital content, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has ordered the blocking of 25 OTT platforms for allegedly hosting and distributing obscene, vulgar, and pornographic material in violation of Indian laws.
The move, initiated on July 23, 2025, follows consultations with key government ministries, civil society groups, and legal experts. Platforms such as Ullu, ALTT, Big Shots App, NeonX VIP, and Desiflix are among those blacklisted for breaching provisions of the IT Act, Indian Penal Code, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
In total, 26 websites and 14 mobile applications—including those listed on Google Play Store and Apple App Store—have been ordered to be disabled under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The ministry flagged explicit sexual content, prolonged nudity, and inappropriate depictions of family relationships as key concerns. It noted that many series lacked social themes or narratives, offering little beyond “graphic sexual innuendos” and “distasteful portrayals.”
Despite repeated warnings—most recently in September 2024 and an advisory issued in February 2025—these platforms allegedly continued to flout content guidelines. Some even attempted to evade past bans by relaunching content under new domains.
The decision was taken in coordination with the Ministries of Home Affairs, Women and Child Development, Electronics and IT, the Department of Legal Affairs, and bodies like FICCI and CII. Inputs were also sought from child rights and women’s rights experts.
Notably, Ullu’s controversial series House Arrest was removed earlier this year, but over 100 web series on the platform were later flagged for being re-uploaded in unedited form after temporary removals. The Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC), led by a former Supreme Court judge, had previously termed ALTT’s edited content “distasteful and bizarre.”
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had also flagged platforms like Ullu and ALTT in 2024 for possible legal violations. Public complaints added further pressure on the Ministry to act decisively.
The move signals the government’s intensified push to regulate OTT content and enforce digital decency standards in line with India’s content code and legal frameworks.