Centre blocks 50 OTT platforms over obscene content in two years
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The Central government has blocked public access to 50 over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms over the past two years after finding them to be hosting obscene and sexually explicit content in violation of Indian laws, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan disclosed the information in a written reply to a question raised by Nashik MP Rajabhau Parag Prakash Waje.
The government said the action followed complaints against digital platforms and was taken under provisions of the Information Technology Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
According to the ministry, the platforms violated Sections 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which prohibit publishing or transmitting obscene and sexually explicit material in electronic form. They were also found to have violated Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with obscene acts and content, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
The ministry said it regularly examines complaints relating to digital content and takes action wherever violations are established.
It added that under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, intermediaries can be directed to remove unlawful content or disable public access after being notified by the appropriate government authority.
The government reiterated that OTT platforms and digital news publishers are governed by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The rules prescribe a Code of Ethics for publishers and establish a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism for complaints related to online content.
The ministry said complaints received under this framework are reviewed, and action is taken where content is found to violate applicable laws or the Code of Ethics.
The government did not disclose the names of the 50 OTT platforms that were blocked during the two-year period.