The Ministry of Info & Broadcasting (I&B) has taken motion, in coordination with varied intermediaries, to dam 18 OTT platforms publishing “obscene,” “vulgar,” and, in some situations, “pornographic content material”. 19 web sites, 10 apps (7 on the Google Play Retailer and three on the Apple App Retailer), and 57 social media accounts related to these platforms have been disabled for public entry in India, an official assertion from the Ministry of Info and Broadcasting mentioned on Thursday.
Union Minister for Info & Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur has repeatedly emphasised the duty of the platforms to not propagate obscenity, vulgarity and abuse beneath the guise of ‘artistic expression’. On March 12, Thakur introduced that 18 OTT platforms publishing obscene and vulgar content material had been taken down, the discharge mentioned.
The assertion additional added that the latest resolution was taken beneath the provisions of the Info Know-how Act, 2000, in session with different ministries of the Authorities of India, and area consultants specializing in media and leisure, ladies’s rights, and little one rights.
“A good portion of the content material hosted on these platforms was discovered to be obscene, vulgar, and portrayed ladies in a demeaning method. It depicted nudity and sexual acts in varied inappropriate contexts, equivalent to relationships between lecturers and college students, incestuous household relationships, and so on. The content material included sexual innuendos and, in some situations, extended segments of pornographic and sexually express scenes devoid of any thematic or societal relevance,” the assertion added.
The content material was decided to be prima facie in violation of Sections 67 and 67A of the IT Act, Part 292 of the IPC, and Part 4 of the Indecent Illustration of Girls (Prohibition) Act, 1986, the discharge mentioned.
One of many OTT apps amassed greater than 1 crore downloads, whereas two others had over 50 lakh downloads on the Google Play Retailer. Moreover, these OTT platforms extensively make the most of social media to disseminate trailers, particular scenes, and exterior hyperlinks aimed toward attracting audiences to their web sites and apps. The social media accounts of the involved OTT platforms had a cumulative followership of over 32 lakh customers, it mentioned.
The Ministry of I&B persistently conducts sensitization efforts with OTT platforms and their self-regulatory our bodies established beneath the IT Guidelines, 2021 via conferences, webinars, workshops, and so on, the assertion mentioned.
The Authorities of India stays dedicated to fostering the expansion and improvement of the OTT trade. A number of measures have been undertaken on this regard, together with the introduction of the Inaugural OTT Award for Internet Sequence on the 54th Worldwide Movie Competition of India, collaboration with OTT platforms within the media and leisure sector, and the institution of a light-weight contact regulatory framework with an emphasis on self-regulation beneath the IT Guidelines, 2021, the discharge mentioned.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
