43 OTT platforms blocked for 'obscene' content: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informs Parliament
On July 23, Ministry of I&B blocked well-known OTT platforms and websites including ULLU, ALTT, Big Shots, Desiflix and Mojflix, citing the broadcast of obscene, vulgar and pornographic content.
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The Indian government has blocked a total of 43 Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms for the broadcast of obscene, vulgar and pornographic content.
This was confirmed by Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Railways and I&B, Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Lok Sabha on July 30, 2025, during a response to a starred question on the regulation of digital platforms.
The action follows a series of public complaints and a growing push from lawmakers to curb the spread of explicit, violent, or culturally inappropriate content, particularly that which may harm children or mislead audiences.
“After due consultation with relevant Ministries, 43 OTT platforms have been blocked so far,” Vaishnaw stated, as he laid out the government's position in Parliament.
The crackdown is part of the government's broader implementation of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which were notified under the IT Act, 2000. These rules mandate OTT platforms to self-classify content based on age-appropriateness and provide robust parental controls to restrict access to adult or sensitive material.
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting had earlier issued an advisory in February 2025, directing OTT platforms and their self-regulatory bodies to ensure strict compliance with Indian laws and the Code of Ethics outlined in the IT Rules.
Non-compliance with these standards, as per Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, empowers the government to notify intermediaries to remove or block access to unlawful content.
On July 23, MIB had blocked well-known names OTT sites such as ULLU, ALTT, Big Shots, Desiflix and Mojflix, citing the broadcast of obscene, vulgar and pornographic content. The move followed months of warnings, advisories, and growing public outrage over the nature of content on these platforms.
The MIB’s decision was taken in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), MeitY, Department of Legal Affairs (DoLA) and industry bodies like FICCI and CII, along with input from experts in women and child rights.
Based on these inputs, the government invoked the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to issue notifications to intermediaries, directing them to disable access to to these apps across Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The OTT platforms were found to be consistently streaming content that included sexual innuendos, extended nudity and sexually explicit scenes, often without any narrative, message or social context. In many cases, the platforms depicted sexual relationships in highly inappropriate contexts, including between family members, thereby crossing clear legal and moral boundaries.
Authorities found the content to be in violation of Section 67 and 67A of the IT Act, Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had flagged ULLU and ALTT as early as July–August 2024, based on multiple public grievances. Despite this, most of the platforms continued to stream problematic content.
