Indian government blocks five OTT platforms for streaming obscene content, enforcing IT Rules 2021 to uphold public decency, national interests, and legal compliance.
These rules and laws are designed to “maintain public decency, safeguard national interests, and enforce ethical journalistic standards” across digital media services.
The Indian government has blocked five over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms for allegedly streaming obscene and pornographic material online, officials said on Tuesday, stepping up efforts to regulate digital content under existing laws.
The platforms that have been blocked include MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro, Digi Movieplex, Feel, and Jugnu. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) issued orders to internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict access to these services under the Information Technology Rules, 2021, and relevant obscenity provisions.
Authorities said the action was taken under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which grants the government authority to block public access to online content that violates legal standards, including material deemed obscene or harmful.
These rules and laws are designed to “maintain public decency, safeguard national interests, and enforce ethical journalistic standards” across digital media services.
Under the procedure, ISPs must block access once a platform is identified and notified as non-compliant. Officials said the latest move follows due legal process.
Government officials flagged that the blocked services were streaming much of their material without meaningful themes or social messages. Instead, they featured unrestricted sexual content, nudity, and scenes described as pornographic in nature — in violation of the IT Rules and obscenity standards.
Many of these platforms were alleged to have violated Section 67 and 67A of the IT Act, which prohibit publishing or transmitting obscene or sexually explicit content in electronic form.
The recent move reflects authorities’ continued effort to curb the spread of what they term obscene and vulgar content online and ensure digital streaming outlets adhere strictly to Indian law.
Officials noted that the government had previously issued warnings and notices to a longer list of platforms accused of similar violations. Last year, authorities ordered the blocking of about two dozen OTT services for allegedly publishing obscene content.
Many platforms continued to operate through alternate domains even after initial warnings, prompting fresh action. Authorities said that the latest blocking orders were issued only after due procedure and evaluation.
The I&B ministry had also reminded platforms about compliance with the Code of Ethics under the IT Rules, 2021, including in early 2025, but some continued publishing inappropriate material.
Officials said the decision followed consultations with multiple government departments, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Department of Legal Affairs, as well as inputs from industry bodies, women’s rights advocates, and child protection experts.
Industry associations such as the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) also took part in reviewing the content standards and compliance frameworks.
The latest blocking order signals a stronger regulatory stance on how streaming platforms operate in India, particularly smaller services that may not have well-defined content standards.
Experts suggest that such enforcement efforts could encourage OTT services to implement stricter content moderation frameworks, age-based classification, and internal self-regulatory processes in compliance with Indian digital media laws.
The government’s actions form part of a broader digital media policy environment that seeks to balance freedom of expression with public interest and societal values.
