India Blocks Five OTT Platforms for Obscene Content

The Indian government blocked access to five over-the-top streaming platforms on Tuesday for hosting content deemed obscene, officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said. The platforms, MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro, Digi Movieplex, Feel, and Jugnu, were targeted under provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021.

Authorities directed internet service providers to restrict public access to the websites and mobile applications associated with these services. App stores, including Google Play and the Apple App Store, were also instructed to remove the applications. The ministry stated that the action followed a review process involving consultations with multiple government departments, such as those for home affairs, women and child development, electronics and information technology, and law and justice. Industry organizations, including the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Confederation of Indian Industry, along with experts in women and child rights, participated in the evaluation.

Officials described the blocked content as lacking...