Censorship in India: 25 Online Streaming Services Prohibited due to Morality Enforcement
The Indian government has taken a decisive step in regulating digital content, announcing the ban of 25 OTT platforms and associated mobile apps across the country. This sweeping action reflects an intensifying focus by lawmakers on overseeing digital content spaces.
The move targets platforms reportedly flouting several legal statutes, including provisions under the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021, new criminal laws against public obscenity, and a law prohibiting indecent representation of women.
The crackdown intends to protect minors and uphold social decency standards. Many of the banned platforms were accused of hosting content deemed obscene, vulgar, or sexually explicit, inconsistent with Indian legal and cultural standards. The key legal provisions these platforms were accused of violating include:
- The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which mandate that OTT platforms must enforce age-based self-classification of content, curb transmission of unlawful content, and implement access controls for age-inappropriate material.
- Sections 67 and 67A of the IT Act, 2000, which criminalize the publishing or transmitting of obscene material in electronic form, including sexually explicit content.
- Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to obscenity.
- The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 (Section 4), which forbids indecent representation of women.
The government's action was taken following public complaints and recommendations by bodies such as the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The banned platforms were found to host content largely consisting of explicit scenes lacking coherent plot or social context.
Elected representatives and advocacy groups have publicly supported the crackdown on OTT platforms. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to enforce city-wide blocking of the listed services.
This isn't the first time the government has intervened; earlier in 2024, 18 OTT platforms, 19 websites, and multiple app storefronts and social media accounts had already been disabled for hosting similarly objectionable content. Platform owners may face further legal consequences or sanctions under Indian law. Failure to comply with these laws can result in intermediaries losing legal protection and facing criminal action.
Some of the most prominent OTT services blocked include ULLU, ALTT (formerly ALTBalaji), Desiflix, Big Shots App, Boomex, Navarasa Lite, Gulab App, Kangan App, MoodX, NeonX VIP, Mojflix, ShowX, Sol Talkies, Adda TV, Feneo, Hitprime, Bull App, Jalwa App, Wow Entertainment, Look Entertainment, Fugi, and Triflicks.
The move sends a message: India's evolving digital policy is geared toward ensuring content alignment with national legal standards and social norms. Women's rights bodies have welcomed the move, arguing it is long overdue due to increasing concerns about the content's impact on youth and social values.
- The ban of various OTT platforms and associated apps in India, initiated by the government, is driven by concerns about content violating legal statutes across several domains, including entertainment, social media, and crime-and-justice.
- Elected representatives, advocacy groups, and women's rights bodies have praised the government's decision to restrict OTT services hosting explicit and inappropriate content, calling the move a necessary step towards aligning digital content with Indian norms and values.
- In addition to the digital content regulation, the government's focus expands to general-news platforms, as they too must adhere to the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021, and other applicable laws, ensuring that news and information presented aligns with societal standards.
