Indian Government Cracks Down on OTT Platforms Over Explicit Content
On Thursday, the Indian Government initiated a significant action against 18 streaming services, known as ‘over-the-top’ (OTT) platforms, for distributing content deemed “indecent, explicit, and occasionally pornographic.”
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting announced that 19 websites, 10 mobile applications, and 57 social media profiles linked to these OTT services were blocked from being accessed within India. Seven of the prohibited applications were hosted on the Google Play Store and three on the Apple App Store.
This move was aligned with the Information Technology Act of 2000, following consultations with various government ministries and departments alongside specialists in media, entertainment, women’s, and children’s rights.
The blocked OTT services include:
1) Dreams Films
2) Voovi
3) Yessma
4) Uncut Adda
5) Tri Flicks
6) X Prime
7) Neon X VIP
8) Besharams
9) Hunters
10) Rabbit
11) Xtramood
12) Nuefliks
13) MoodX
14) Mojflix
15) Hot Shots VIP
16) Fugi
17) Chikooflix
18) Prime Play
The government found the material on these platforms to be “lewd, explicit, and belittling towards women,” featuring inappropriate suggestions and, at times, extensive pornographic and sexually explicit material with no significant thematic or societal value.
The dissemination of such material contravenes Sections 67 and 67A of the IT Act, Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act of 1986.
Regarding the reach of these OTT platforms, one has been downloaded approximately 10 million times, and two others had close to 5 million downloads each on the Google Play Store. These platforms actively used social media to share trailers, specific scenes, and links to draw viewers to their sites and apps, with the associated social media profiles amassing over 3 million followers.
Ragul Thangavel
With over nine years of diverse professional experience, Ragul has made significant contributions across various domains, including Media Operations, OTT Technologies, Video Production, Ecommerce, and Social Media.
Holding an Engineering degree, Ragul's career took an unconventional turn when he discovered his passion for writing, leading him to begin his journey as a content writer.
His career has been exclusively dedicated to the growth and development of startups, where he has played a pivotal role. His unique blend of technical knowledge and creative prowess has enabled him to drive innovation and success in every venture he has been a part of.
