In an important action on objectionable digital materials, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has allegedly ordered to block 25 over-the-tops (OTT) platforms to publish pornographic content in alleged porn, vulgar and some cases.
According to sources, this instruction was issued on July 23, 2025 in consultation with the stakeholders of various government departments and civil society. The platform under the prohibition, including the owl, ALTT, Big Shots App, Neonax VIP and Desiflix etc., is found to spread such materials that violate many provisions of Indian law, in which information technology acts in which information technology acts in which information technology acts in the information technology Act 67 and 67 and 67 and 67 and 67 and 67 Section 292 of women and Section 4 of Pornographic Dening (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
Overall, 26 websites and 14 mobile applications – 9 are listed on Google Play Store and 5 Apple App Store – has been ordered to be disabled by the IT Act, 2000 and IT (ID Guidelines and Digital) Act, under the provisions of the Act, 2000.
According to sources, the ministry said that most of the materials shown on these platforms included porn gestures, long views of nudity and porn views. The ministry said, “There was no story, subject or message in the social context.” Some materials also showed inappropriate sexual conditions related to family relationships, which further increased concerns about validity and decency.
The government held several rounds of talks with these platforms. In September 2024, all 25 platforms were given official warnings. Earlier, in February 2025, the Ministry issued an advisory urging OTT platforms to follow the Code of Conduct set under India’s Pornography Acts and IT Rules, 2021. Nevertheless, the platforms reportedly continued to host objectionable materials and streaming.
For a notable example, the series ‘House Arrest’ hosted on the owl platform was removed after the intervention of the ministry in May. However, the government alleges that some platforms have continued their operations by creating new domains even after previous blocking orders – allegedly five such platforms have resumed publishing similar materials even after blocking in March 2024.
The latest action was taken in consultation with the subject experts of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), Department of Law Affairs (DOLA), industry associations FICCI and CII, and subject experts in the fields of women and child rights.
He mentioned that earlier the digital publisher Material Grievance Council (DPCGC), a self-controlled body headed by the former judge of the Supreme Court, found that the content edited on ALTT was “completely uninterrupted and bizarre”, with sex and nudity without any relevant justification.
Similarly, more than 100 webseries were also removed from the owl platform, the council found that the platform temporarily removed or edited the webseries and then uploaded the unplaced version after some time to sideline warnings.
Many of these platforms had already attracted the attention of the National Child Rights Protection Commission (NCPCR), which in July and August 2024 marked the owl and ALTT for alleged violations. The ministry also received several public complaints about the material hosted on these platforms.
