The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting under the central government has banned 18 OTT platforms. These include Uncut Adda, Dreams Films and Prime Play. They have been banned for posting ‘obscene and vulgar’ and pornographic content despite repeated warnings.
Additionally, 19 websites, 10 apps and 57 social media accounts linked with these OTT platforms have also been disabled for public access in the country. The I&B Ministry, in a statement, said, "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 banned OTT platforms include Dreams Films, Voovi, Yessma, Uncut Adda, Tri Flicks, X Prime, Neon X VIP, Besharams, Hunters, Rabbit, Xtramood, Nuefliks, MoodX, Mojflix, Hot Shots VIP, Fugi, Chikooflix and Prime Play.
The ministry also said that the platforms were in violation of Sections 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
The ban was executed after consulting with relevant Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, domain experts, and relevant experts in women's rights, and child rights.