New Delhi: The government has ordered the blocking of websites and apps of 25 OTT platforms, including Ullu, ALTT, and Desiflix, for having obscene, vulgar, and in some cases, pornographic content.
Among the apps identified for violating various laws are ALTT, ULLU, Big Shots App, Desiflix, Boomex, Navarasa Lite, Gulab App, Kangan App, Bull App, Jalva App, ShowHit, Wow Entertainment, Look Entertainment, Hitprime, Feneo, ShowX, Sol Talkies, Adda TV, HotX VIP, Hulchul App, MoodX, NeonX VIP, Fugi, Mojflix, and Triflicks, officials said.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting took the action in consultation with the Ministries of Home, Women and Child Development, Electronics, Information Technology, and Law, industry bodies FICCI and CII, and experts in the field of women and child rights.
Notifications have been issued to various intermediaries as per the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the IT Rules, 2021, to ensure that access to the concerned websites and apps is disabled.
Officials said content on these platforms included sexual innuendos, long portions of sexually explicit scenes without any storyline, theme or message in a social context.
The government had received complaints against these platforms from the National Commission on Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and members of the public over the past year.
Earlier, the web series ‘House Arrest’ was taken down by Ullu in May, after intervention by the ministry.
Officials said all 25 platforms were asked, in September last year, to refrain from publishing obscene, vulgar and in some cases pornographic content, but they continued to publish such content.
They said five platforms, which were blocked earlier in March 2024, started publishing obscene content on new website domains.
