India Disables 50 OTT Platforms Over Obscene Content

The Government of India disabled public access to 50 over-the-top (OTT) platforms over a two-year period for hosting obscene, vulgar, and sexually explicit content. Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan informed the Lok Sabha on July 22, 2026, that the actions followed complaints from the general public and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

These enforcement actions included a crackdown on 25 platforms in July 2025 and another five in February 2026. The blocks were executed under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and targeted violations of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued initial advisories before ordering the removals, which included associated apps and social media handles.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure a safe and accountable internet, particularly for children. To combat digital addiction and protect minors, the government is utilizing the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, which requires parental consent for processing children's data, and the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025. Additionally, amended IT Rules now require intermediaries to remove unlawful content within three hours of a government or court order. To support these regulations, the government conducted 6,650 Information Security Education and Awareness workshops for over 11.37 lakh participants.