The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has banned five ‘obscene’ over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms for violating legal standards governing digital content in India, reports said on Wednesday.
The platforms that have been blocked are MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro, Digi Movieplex, Feel, and Jugnu.
Authorities said the action was taken under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which grants the government authority to block public access to online content that violates legal standards, including material deemed obscene or harmful.
“Utilising the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Rules, 2021, appropriate instructions have been issued to ensure that access to the blocked apps is disabled,” said sources.
Streaming platforms have grown significantly in recent years, offering a wide range of regional and niche content outside traditional cinema and television censorship frameworks. However, concerns have also been raised by policymakers and advocacy groups regarding explicit material and the accessibility of such content to younger audiences.
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The move follows a similar action in July 2025, when the government ordered the blocking of websites and mobile applications linked to 25 OTT platforms accused of broadcasting media considered obscene, vulgar or, in certain instances, pornographic.
The action was taken by the MIB in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Department of Legal Affairs (DoLA), and industry bodies such as FICCI and CII, and experts in the field of women’s rights and child rights.
The I&B ministry acted under section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, which empowers the government to direct intermediaries to remove access to unlawful content when they fail to respond to official notices.
