ACTION PUNJAB NEWS Desk: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), in collaboration with multiple intermediaries, blocked 18 OTT platforms publishing obscene, vulgar, and certain pornographic cases.
19 websites, 10 applications (7 available on Google Play Store and 3 on Apple App Store), and 57 social media accounts affiliated with these platforms have been deactivated for public access within India.
Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur has repeatedly emphasized the responsibility of the platforms to not propagate obscenity, vulgarity and abuse under the guise of ‘creative expression’.
Ministry of I&B blocks 18 OTT platforms for obscene and vulgar content after multiple warnings; 19 websites, 10 apps, 57 social media handles of OTT platforms blocked nationwide, says the government. pic.twitter.com/03ojj3YEiF
— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2024
The recent decision was taken under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 in consultation with other Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, and domain experts specializing in media and entertainment, women’s rights, and child rights.
Check List of OTT Platforms blocked by Ministry of I&B
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
Prime Play
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The official statement of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) says, “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 content was determined to be prima facie in violation of Section 67 and 67A of the IT Act, Section 292 of the IPC, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986,” the ministry further reads.
The official statement of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) further reads, “One of the OTT apps amassed more than 1 crore downloads, while two others had over 50 lakh downloads on the Google Play Store. Additionally, these OTT platforms extensively utilized social media to disseminate trailers, specific scenes, and external links aimed at attracting audiences to their websites and apps. The social media accounts of the concerned OTT platforms had a cumulative followership of over 32 lakh users.”
(With inputs from Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Press Release)
