Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) on Friday banned 25 OTT platforms including ULLU, Altt (Altbalaji), Desiflix in the country. The government says that these digital platforms have violated Indian IT laws by showing “porn” and “soft porn” content. Now users will not be able to access these apps, websites and social media handles in India.

According to the government, porn web series and content on all banned applications and OTT services were being shown in the name of “Entertainment” or “Web Series”. It was deliberately depicted the themes like sex, nudity, individual situations and body shaming, which is a violation of IT Act 2000 and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. In addition, the action was taken after the advice of experts and objections of several ministries.

Which platforms were banned?

The government has banned a total of 25 OTT platforms. These include prominent names:

• Ullu
• Altt (altbalaji)
• Desiflix
• Big Shots App
• Boomex
• Navarasa Lite
• Gulab app
• Kangan app
• Bull app
• Jalva app
• Look entertainment
• Moodx
• Neonx vip
• Feno
• Hitprime

The government has imposed this ban under these major laws, including Information Technology Act, 2000 (Section 67 & 67A), Indian Justice Code, 2023 (Section 294), Indecent Represtation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 (Section 4).

MIB says that many times complaints, Supreme Court comments and references of institutions like National Child Rights Protection Commission (NCPCR) made the role of this action. Earlier in February too, OTT platforms were given advisory to follow the code of conduct, but the companies continued to avoid it.

The government has said that it is the responsibility of digital platforms not to make their content a medium of indecency or expression in the name of ‘creative expression’. NDTV’s UnderInformation and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that due to such content, there is a negative effect on the society and children also have a wrong effect.

Ekta kapoor case: The Mumbai Police is trapped in a case against film and television serial producer Ekta Kapoor. A city court has issued a ‘show show’ notice to the city police for not presenting the investigation report on time. A criminal complaint has been filed against him for insulting Indian soldiers in Ekta Kapoor’s web series.

The investigation report of the case related to Ekta Kapoor was to be presented in the court till 9 May for insulting Indian soldiers, but the police could not submit their report during the deadline. The Bandra -based magistrate court directed the Khar police to investigate the complaint under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure against Kapoor and others in February.

Report was to be submitted by 9 May
Under Section 202 of Code of Criminal Procedure, the magistrate can investigate a criminal complaint or instruct the police to do so. The magistrate court had sought a report from the police by May 9, but on not presenting the report till now, the court issued a ‘show show’ notice to the police on Friday. Please tell that a complaint was lodged against Ekta Kapoor against Ekta Kapoor, also known as ‘Hindustani Bhau’.

What is the whole matter?
Apart from Ekta Kapoor, Vikas Pathak has also named her OTT platform Alt Balaji and her parents Shobha and Jeetendra Kapoor. According to a complaint filed through Advocate Ali Kashif Khan Deshmukh, a military officer was shown having ‘illegal sex’ in an episode of a web series on Ekta Kapoor’s owner Alt Balaji. In the petition, it was demanded to take action against the producer, describing it as the Indian Army’s dishonesty.