Center blocks 18 streaming platforms in India over 'obscene' content

Taking major action against the platforms providing 'obscene' content on the internet, the Central Government has blocked 18 such OTT platforms with immediate effect. An official statement from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Thursday said that 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on Google Play Store and 3 on Apple App Store), and 57 social media accounts linked to these platforms have been banned in India. .

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has repeatedly stressed the responsibility of platforms to not propagate obscenity and abuse under the guise of 'constructive expression'. The release said that on March 12, Thakur announced That 18 OTT platforms publishing obscene content have been removed.

The statement further said that the recent decision was taken under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 in consultation with other ministries of the Government of India and domain experts with expertise in media and entertainment, women's rights and child rights.

It further said that a significant portion of the content hosted on these platforms was found to be obscene and portray women in a derogatory manner. It depicts nudity and sexual acts in various inappropriate contexts, such as relationships between teachers and students, incestuous family relationships, etc. Such content also included sexual innuendo and, in some cases, long stretches of obscene and sexually explicit scenes devoid of any thematic or social relevance.

The release said that such content has prima facie been considered a 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.

Among the OTT apps, one app got more than 1 crore downloads, while two others got more than 50 lakh downloads on Google Play Store. Additionally, these OTT platforms use social media extensively to broadcast trailers, exclusive scenes, and external links with the aim of attracting viewers to their websites and apps. It said that the respective OTT platforms have more than 32 lakh followers on their social media accounts.

The statement said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting continuously conducts sensitization efforts with OTT platforms and their self-regulatory bodies established under the IT Rules, 2021 through frequent meetings, webinars, workshops etc.