Move is appreciated: Kangana Ranaut after crackdown on OTT platforms

Bollywood actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has supported the Centre’s ban on OTT platforms in the country. Speaking to ANI, the Emergency star said that the move was crucial to protect the country’s young people and was issued in the public interest.

“The ban has been imposed to ensure that our culture and the minds of the youth are not corrupted. It is important to see that our society is not headed toward a complete downfall. It was awaited for a long time,” she said.

Kangana also appreciated the step taken against the illegal functioning of the OTT applications. Likewise, actor Ravi Kishan has also welcomed the decision, stating that “boundaries and limits need to be set.”

According to sources, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has ordered the blocking of 25 over-the-top (OTT) platforms over allegedly publishing obscene, vulgar, and even pornographic material. As a part of it, platforms like Ullu, ALTT, Big Shots App, NeonX VIP, and Desiflix were found disseminating content that directly violated several provisions of Indian law, including Section 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.

A total of 14 mobile applications, 26 websites have been ordered to be disabled by intermediaries under provisions of the IT Act, 2000 and the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Much of the content showcased on the aforementioned platforms involved graphic sexual innuendos, long sequences of nudity, and pornographic visuals.

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Some, they believed, also had inappropriate sexual situations involving family relationships, which aggravated concerns over legality and decency. Previously, in September 2024, all 25 platforms received official warnings. The Ministry also issued an advisory, asking the OTT platforms to comply with India’s obscenity laws and the Code of Ethics prescribed under the IT Rules, 2021.