The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) recently announced the banning of eighteen Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms for disseminating obscene and vulgar content. This decision came after repeated warnings were issued to these platforms regarding their content, which was found to be in violation of various laws including the IT Act, Indian Penal Code, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) took action against several Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms and related social media handles due to the dissemination of inappropriate and offensive content. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
1. Ban on OTT Platforms: Eighteen OTT platforms were banned for hosting obscene and vulgar content despite multiple warnings from the ministry. These platforms were found to be in violation of the IT Act, Indian Penal Code, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
2. Ban on Websites, Apps, and Social Media Handles: In addition to the OTT platforms, the ministry also banned 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on Google Play Store, 3 on Apple App Store), and 57 social media handles associated with these platforms.
3. Cumulative Followership: The social media accounts of these OTT platforms collectively had over 32 lakh (3.2 million) followers. Despite their significant online presence, their content was deemed inappropriate and in violation of various laws.
4. Utilization of Social Media: The banned OTT platforms extensively used social media to promote their content, including trailers, specific scenes, and external links, with the aim of attracting more viewers to their websites and apps.
5. Description of Content: The ministry described the content hosted on these platforms as containing obscenity, vulgarity, and demeaning portrayals of women. It depicted nudity, sexual acts, and inappropriate relationships such as those between teachers and students or within incestuous family settings. Furthermore, the content included sexual innuendos and prolonged segments of pornographic and sexually explicit scenes devoid of any thematic or societal relevance.
6. List of Banned Platforms: The OTT platforms that were banned 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.
In summary, the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting took decisive action against OTT platforms and related entities for disseminating inappropriate and offensive content, highlighting their commitment to upholding legal and societal standards regarding media content.