Why Centre banned 25 OTT platforms
The blocking order, passed on July 23 by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB), targets both established and emerging platforms including Ullu, ALTT, Big Shots App, Desiflix and 21 others. The action covers 26 websites and 14 mobile applications, with nine apps removed from the Google Play Store and five from the Apple App Store.
The ministry acted under section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, which empowers the government to direct intermediaries to remove access to unlawful content when they fail to respond to official notices, two MIB officials told HT.
'The legal provision under which this ban was issued assumes importance, since the Government's reliance upon Section 79(3)(b) for ordering online content takedowns is currently under challenge. A petition filed by X (formerly Twitter) before the Bangalore High Court earlier this year argues that issuing content banning orders through Section 79(3)(b) bypasses legal protections available under the IT Act, 2000,' said Vikram Jeet Singh, partner at BTG Advaya and a specialist in Internet regulation laws.
'Depending on the procedure that has been followed to issue these recent bans, the affected OTT players may consider a challenge on the same grounds as X, arguing that a ban on content cannot be issued under Section 79(3)(b),' Singh added.
The crackdown followed extensive consultations with the ministries of home affairs, women and child development, electronics and IT, the department of legal affairs, industry bodies FICCI and CII, and experts in women's and child rights, according to a document shared by an MIB official.
According to ministry document, the flagged content contained 'sexual innuendos', extended scenes involving nudity, and depictions of sex in inappropriate contexts, including family relationships. Officials noted that much of the content lacked meaningful storylines or social messages and was largely 'obscene and vulgar'.
The ministry had issued warnings to all 25 platforms in September 2024, but several ignored the notices and some resumed publishing objectionable content using alternate domains. Five platforms previously blocked in March 2024 began publishing obscene content on new website domains, officials said.
Actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Kishan welcomed the government's move. 'Both licensed and unlicensed OTT platforms have been pushing soft porn and unlawful content. This decision reflects the sentiment of the people, who have repeatedly flagged such concerns on X,' he told PTI. 'Entertainment should have its limits, a 'Lakshman Rekha', and this step will help restore that balance.'
The ministry said the content violated sections 67 and 67A of the IT Act, which prohibit publishing or transmitting obscene and sexually explicit material in electronic form, as well as section 292 of the Indian Penal Code related to sale and circulation of obscene content, and section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
The action follows multiple public complaints and references from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in July and August 2024, particularly naming Ullu and ALTT. The ministry issued advisories and notices to OTT platforms, including a February 2025 reminder to adhere to the Code of Ethics under the IT Rules, 2021.
The Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council, a self-regulatory body comprising around 40 OTT members including ALTT and Ullu, had previously ordered edits to certain shows on ALTT, citing scenes that were 'distasteful and bizarre' and featured sex and nudity without contextual justification.
On Ullu, over 100 web series were taken down, but investigations found that some were quietly re-uploaded in their original form to evade oversight. Ullu's web series 'House Arrest' was pulled down in May 2025 after government intervention.
'Any depiction that degrades or objectifies women, through media, is a basis to ban platforms, especially for obscene portrayal of women. The law criminalises distribution or performance of obscene content in public places, and, by extension, digital media does not escape public morality standards,' said Gaurav Sahay, founding partner, Arthashastra Legal.
The ministry is expected to take further action if violations continue.
In all, the following have been blocked by the latest order: Big Shots App, Desiflix, Boomex, NeonX VIP, Navarasa Lite, Gulab App, Kangan App, Bull App, ShowHit, Jalva App, Wow Entertainment, Look Entertainment, Hitprime, Fugi, Feneo, ShowX, Sol Talkies, Adda TV, ALTT, HotX VIP, Hulchul App, MoodX, Triflicks, Ullu, and Mojflix.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
12 minutes ago
- NDTV
Rohman Shawl Defines Relationship With Ex-Girlfriend Sushmita Sen: "Not Lovers, Not Strangers..."
New Delhi: Rohman Shawl shared an intriguing Instagram post on Monday on the occasion of completing seven years of his relationship with Sushmita Sen. Rohman and Sushmita are no longer in a relationship but their "quiet" friendship "stayed"; Defining their relationship status, Rohman wrote, "Not lovers, not strangers, something softer, rarer." What's Happening Rohman shared a gray-scale picture in which he's seen leaning over Sushmita Sen. Sushmita is seen posing with her back to the camera. Sushmita is seen wearing a hoodie which has the initial letter of her name S written over it. Refelcting upon their relationship, Rohman wrote, "7 years today. Some stories outgrow their titles, but never their meaning !! "I taught you chess, you now beat me without mercy. "You taught me to swim, dragged a water phobic soul into the deep end (emotionally and literally) And how can I not thank you for giving me the best haircuts. We swapped roles, fears, and strengths, and somewhere between checkmates and deep ends, we found a bond that outlived labels." Rohman shared their bond defies name and titles. "Not lovers, not strangers, something softer, rarer !!! "You were once my safe place & somehow, still are!!!! Grateful for the love we had & the quiet friendship that stayed." The post garnered love from the Internet. A user wrote, "Love in it's purest form, beyond comprehension." Another user wrote, "What an outstanding caption." View this post on Instagram A post shared by rohman shawl (@rohmanshawl) Background Sushmita Sen had confirmed their breakup back in 2021 with an Instagram post. She shared a picture with Rohman and wrote, 'We began as friends, we remain friends!! The relationship was long over…the love remains!!" Since then, Sushmita Sen and Rohman Shawl have often been seen together at events and family gatherings. Menwhile, Rohman Shawl is also exploring new paths in his career. He made his acting debut last year with the Tamil film Amaran. He played the antagonist in the film, and his performance was well-received. On the other hand, Sushmita Sen was last seen in the show, Taali: Bajaungi Nahi, Bajwaungi.
The Hindu
12 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Christian Cooke on ‘Rematch': A celebration and a cautionary tale
Yan England's Rematch recreates the 1997 match between reigning world chess champion, Garry Kasparov and IBM super computer Deep Blue. The six-part series features Christian Cooke playing the Russian Grandmaster. The role called for intense research and provided insights. 'I learned that I'm not very good at chess,' Christian says laughing. Speaking over a video call from London, Christian says he watched documentaries and read books by Kasparov in preparation for his role. 'With that material and the script I started to get a sense of who he was as a person. Single-mindedness, drive, ambition and tenacity were some of the adjectives that came to mind when I thought about Kasparov.' Kasparov's intense focus and precision was compelling and challenging, says the 37-year-old actor. 'When you're playing something as focused as chess, you have to concentrate specifically on the board in front of you, on the table the board is on, and on the person sitting opposite you.' That, Christian said is a practical line of sight. 'You're not moving around, you're not interacting with props or people. That innately results in a specific type of focus, which is the same focus a chess player has in real life. I just tried to personify that intensity.' For the chess scenes, Christian says they worked with chess master Malcolm Pein in England and a Hungarian Grandmaster who was on set every day. Precipice of change Rematch revisits a pivotal moment in the history of AI. 'It was the precipice of this huge change. Now, 30 years later, we're standing at the precipice of another large leap forward. Human beings didn't know what they were in for back then, with the advent of personal computing and the Internet. The digital age was just taking shape, and now AI is becoming a part of people's lives.' There is a parallel to the present moment, says Christian. 'It's going to be interesting to try and get a grip on how we want technology to affect our lives versus what we want to stay the same.' Kasparov's story is both a cautionary tale and a celebration of human ambition, says Christian. 'It's incredible what one human being can achieve when playing against a computer that could do 200 million moves a second. It's a celebration of what the human mind is capable of, but also, a cautionary tale as Kasparov was ultimately beaten by the computer. I don't know what that means for humanity in general, going forward, in terms of technology, but hopefully we can learn to work with it instead of against it, or hopefully we won't let it work against us, who knows?' Intimidating and motivating It is always intimidating to play a real person, Christian says. 'That also provides motivation to buckle down and get on with it. Sometimes what scares us is also what drives us and that was true for Garry. He was probably intimidated by the prospect of a computer being better than him. But it's what drove him to take the challenge.' Playing Kasparov reminded Christian of how hard one has to work to be at the top. 'Kasparov worked very hard, and trained and researched a lot. It's not all about natural ability. It's about how hard you work and the hours that you put into being good at something. That's true of every discipline.' Deep dive Shooting the chess games was a real challenge, Christian says. 'You're sitting in a chair for 12 to 13 hours a day acting like you're playing chess. It's exhausting mentally as an actor, because you can't re- energise yourself by getting up and interacting with others. Physical scenes might have been less tiring, in a way. There's something exhausting about just sitting in a chair and having your very small, specific points of focus.' You also have to communicate a lot as an actor, says Christian, without doing too much. 'You're playing chess, and have to communicate how each move is affecting you as a performer. It's quite niche and specific.' Too much or too little Jan Ingram, the director, wrote voiceovers into the script to show Kasparov calculating the moves he was making, instantaneously. 'Jan wanted the audience to understand the sort of math that was going on in his brain. I was a little worried about that. Voice over is a delicate thing in film, it either works or it doesn't. You're giving the audience too much and can seem patronising.' Christian raised his concerns about the voiceovers with Ingram. 'He listened to me for about 20 minutes, and then showed me this clip from A Beautiful Mind where Russell Crowe is at the chalkboard, and there is this voice over, with the words blending into each other. And he said, 'This is how it's going to be.' That put me at ease.' Though Rematch is about more than chess, being also about obsession, legacy and control, Christian admits not thinking about themes. 'As an actor, you're thinking about practical, tangible things like the writing, or if the story works structurally, if the character three-dimensional.' Filming took place in Montreal and Budapest, which are among Christian's favourite cities. 'I filmed there multiple times. It's nice to return to a city that you love.' If he could ask Kasparov one question, Christian laughs and says he'd ask, 'Do you think I did a good job?''. Rematch is currently streaming on Lionsgate Play
News18
37 minutes ago
- News18
'Not Doing Bigg Boss 19': Mallika Sherawat Shuts Down Rumours About Salman Khan's Show
Last Updated: Mallika Sherawat clarified that she is not participating in Salman Khan-hosted reality show Bigg Boss 19, adding that she never intends to be part of the show. Salman Khan hosted Bigg Boss is undeniably one of the most loved reality shows. It is all set to return soon with another season, Bigg Boss 19, and a speculative list of contestants is already floating on the Internet. Now, Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat has firmly shut down ongoing rumours about her participation in Bigg Boss 19. Addressing the speculation, she stated that she is not joining the Salman Khan-hosted reality show, and never intends to be a part of it in the future. On Monday, Mallika Sherawat took to her Instagram stories, and revealed that she will not be a part of Bigg Boss 19. 'Putting an end to all the rumors, I am Not doing Big Boss and NEVER WILL THANK YOU," she wrote. Mallika Sherawat has previously appeared as a guest on Bigg Boss during past seasons. Most recently, she made a special appearance on Bigg Boss 18 last year to promote her film Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video. During her visit, she enjoyed interacting and dancing with the contestants. This wasn't her first appearance on Salman Khan-hosted reality show. She also made an appearance once on Bigg Boss 13, back in 2019. Meanwhile, a few days ago, the makers of Bigg Boss 19 shared the first look of the reality show, unveiling a brand new 'eye' design. The show is expected to premiere in August 2025, hosted by Salman Khan. This year, the Bigg Boss eye – a signature of the show since its inception – gets a bold, colourful makeover, representing the untamed energy, layered personalities, and unpredictability that lies ahead inside the house. 'Countdown hogaya hai shuru, hoga chaos unlock soon! Stay tuned," wrote the makers, while sharing the new logo. Tentative Participants Of Bigg Boss 19 While the official list of participants has not been revealed by the makers, speculation about potential contestants has already begun circulating. Previous reports claimed that around 45 celebrities have been approached so far. According to the fan page Bigg Boss Taza Khabar, several television personalities and digital influencers are in talks for the season. Some of the names include Rati Pandey (Miley Jab Hum Tum), Hunar Hali, Apoorva Mukhija (aka The Rebel Kid), Mr Faisu, Dhanashree Verma, Sreeram Chandra, Meera Deosthale, and Bhavika Sharma. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
