Centre Blocks 25 OTT Platforms, Including ALTBalaji and ULLU, Over ‘Obscene and Vulgar Content’

New Delhi, July 25, 2025:

In a major crackdown on explicit digital content, the Indian government has blocked 25 OTT platforms including ALTBalaji, ULLU, Big Shots, Desiflix, and Gulab App citing violations of Indian content laws due to allegedly “obscene,” “vulgar,” and “pornographic” material.

According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the banned apps and websites were found streaming content laced with sexual innuendos, graphic nudity, and in some instances, prolonged explicit scenes without any substantive plot or social message.

A senior official stated,

“The majority of the content was neither creative nor meaningful. It was aimed solely at titillation, often portraying inappropriate themes, even involving family contexts.”

While a public notification is yet to be released, government sources confirmed that platforms were taken down for serious violations of the IT Act, sparking further conversation on OTT content regulation.

This move comes just months after the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre and platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, ALTBalaji, and ULLU, seeking accountability for unchecked obscene content. The apex court had remarked that the issue is legislative and falls within the executive’s domain.

The OTT platform ULLU has faced frequent criticism. A clip from its web series House Arrest featuring Ajaz Khan recently went viral, prompting backlash from politicians and the National Commission for Women (NCW), which flagged its portrayal of women.