18 OTTs Banned! Govt Reveals Reasons - List

In 2024, the Union government blocked 18 OTT platforms for publishing content deemed obscene, vulgar, and pornographic. Information and Broadcasting Minister L. Murugan announced this in the Lok Sabha on December 18, citing violations of the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021.

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.
 

OTT : Enforcement of IT Rules
 

The IT Rules mandate intermediaries to ensure due diligence and prevent the spread of harmful content. These regulations include a Code of Ethics for digital media publishers and OTT platforms. The platforms were blocked on March 14, 2024, for breaching these guidelines.
 

OTT: Regulation of Digital News Platforms

Murugan highlighted that digital news publishers must adhere to the Press Council of India’s Norms of Journalistic Conduct and the Programme Code under the Cable Television Act, 1995. Platforms like Bolta Hindustan and National Dastak are also regulated under the IT Rules, 2021, ensuring compliance with ethical standards.
 

OTT Regulations Under National Interest

The IT Rules allow the government to block content under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, if it threatens India’s sovereignty, security, public order, or foreign relations. These powers enable the Centre to direct intermediaries and agencies to take action in the national interest.
 

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.
 

OTT Platforms: Banned Now

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 list covers the following platforms.