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Synopsis

In a significant move, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has taken stringent action against several Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms for hosting content deemed obscene, vulgar, and in certain cases, pornographic. The ministry announced the blocking of 18 OTT platforms, 19 websites, 10 apps, and 57 social media accounts nationwide.

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Anurag Singh Thakur, who has been vocal about the “responsibility of the platforms to not propagate obscenity, vulgarity and abuse under the guise of 'creative expression’” made the announcement.

The content in question was primarily found to be in violation of Section 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, which prohibits the publication or transmission of obscene and sexually explicit material, respectively. Additionally, Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code, which outlaws the sale and distribution of obscene books and material, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, aimed at prohibiting indecent representation of women, were cited as grounds for the action.

Describing the nature of content, the press release by the ministry stated, “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.”

The Ministry has restricted access to several OTT platforms, including Dreams Films, Voovi, Yessma, Uncut Adda, Tri Flicks, X Prime, Neon X VIP, Besharams, Hunters, Rabbit, Xtramood, Nuefliks, MoodX, Mojflix, Hot Shots VIP, Fugi, Chikooflix, and Prime Play.

The notable popularity of these platforms was emphasised, with one OTT app achieving over 10 million downloads and two others surpassing 5 million each on the Google Play Store. Furthermore, these platforms engaged heavily in social media marketing, distributing trailers, selected scenes, and links to draw viewers to their sites and applications. Collectively, the social media profiles linked to these OTT services amassed a following exceeding 3.2 million. Specifically, they maintained 12 accounts on Facebook, 17 on Instagram, 16 on X (formerly known as Twitter), and 12 on YouTube.

It was also highlighted that the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting actively participates in sensitisation initiatives targeting OTT platforms and their respective self-regulatory bodies as defined under the IT Rules, 2021. These activities encompass organising meetings, webinars, and workshops, among other interactions, designed to enlighten these groups about the importance of complying with content standards and regulatory requirements.

The press release also noted that, “The Government of India remains committed to fostering the growth and development of the OTT industry,” highlighting the implementation of various initiatives, such as debuting the OTT Award for Web Series at the 54th International Film Festival of India.

Additionally, there's ongoing collaboration with OTT platforms in the media and entertainment domain, coupled with the creation of a minimal regulatory environment that focuses on self-regulation, as outlined in the IT Rules, 2021.

The recent enforcement action, has been taken in consultation with various government departments and domain experts specialising in media, entertainment, women’s rights and child rights.

[Source: PIB]