The Indian central government has blocked 25 OTT platforms (streaming websites/apps) and their related mobile applications, including well-known names like:

ALTBalaji

Ullu

And 23 others

For what reason were they blocked?

Official reports said that these platforms were:

Disseminating offensive, filthy, or even sexual material

Breaking public decency standards and IT legislation

It was claimed that certain content was detrimental to viewers, particularly young ones.

Under What Act

The Information Technology (IT) Act of 2000, which grants the government the following powers, was used to take this action:

Limit access to information that goes against public morality or the national interest.

Block websites that don't follow these guidelines.

Is this censorship?

Instead of censoring all OTT content, the government says this action is being taken to safeguard the public interest and stop the spread of offensive or dangerous content.

But others could counter that it raises questions regarding:

The right to free speech

Better content classification is required rather than complete prohibitions.

What comes next?

In India, the platforms have been disabled or removed.

There may be more research done.

Future OTT content regulations may become more stringent as a result of this.

What type of content was prohibited?

Official sources claim that the web series and videos on these platforms frequently featured the following:

Indirect or provocative sexual remarks are known as sexual innuendos.

Nudity-related explicit scenes — lengthy, sexually explicit sequences.

These sequences were common and essential to the story.

What was wrong with this?

Authorities asserted that:

Instead of being entertainment with a compelling plot, topic, or societal significance, the majority of the material was sexual.

Rather than compelling stories or characters, the shows primarily concentrated on:

The use of profanity

obscene images

The primary draw is sexual content.

Govt Blocks 25 OTT Platforms Including ULLU, ALTBalaji for Vulgar Content

Author: Anushka Singh