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50 OTT Platforms Disabled in 2 Years: Govt Action Under IT Act, BNS for Obscene Content

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCSSC GATeachingPrelims HighMains MediumStatic GK Link
23 Jul 2026
~2 min
Source: The Hindu
Key Data:50 OTT platforms disabled over 2 years5 platforms blocked Feb 202625 platforms blocked July 202518 platforms blocked March 2024Section 67 IT ActSection 67A IT Act
Bodies:Ministry of Information & BroadcastingNational Commission on Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)FICCICII
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.Union government disabled 50 OTT platforms in last two years (2024-2026) for obscene/sexually explicit content under IT Act, BNS, and Indecent Representation of Women Act.

2.Enforcement included multiple rounds: 18 platforms blocked in March 2024, 25 in July 2025, and 5 in February 2026, along with associated websites, apps, and social media handles.

3.Legal provisions invoked: Section 67, 67A, 67B of IT Act (punishment for obscene/sexually explicit/child sexual abuse material) and Section 294 of BNS (criminalising obscene material).

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · Medium

The Union government has disabled 50 OTT platforms over the last two years for streaming obscene and sexually explicit content. This enforcement action under the IT Act, 2000 and BNS, 2023 highlights the legal framework governing digital content in India. For exam aspirants, this is a crucial case study on digital regulation, statutory penalties, and inter-ministerial coordination.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Total platforms disabled50 OTT platforms over 2 years
Blocked in Feb 20265 OTT platforms
Blocked in July 202525 OTT platforms
Blocked in March 202418 OTT platforms
Key IT Act Sections67, 67A, 67B
BNS Section294
Indecent Representation ActSection 4
Nodal MinistryMinistry of Information & Broadcasting
NCPCR referencesJuly & August 2024

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Total platforms disabled: 50 OTT platforms over 2 years
  • ›Blocked in Feb 2026: 5 OTT platforms
  • ›Target this Data: 50 OTT platforms disabled over 2 years; 5 blocked in Feb 2026; 25 in July 2025; 18 in March 2024.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B Ministry).
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Section 67, 67A, 67B of IT Act, 2000; Section 294 of BNS, 2023; Section 4 of Indecent Representation of Women Act, 1986.

Mastered this topic? Test your knowledge with a full MCQ quiz.

Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which ministry is primarily responsible for implementing the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 for OTT platforms?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements:

1. Section 67 of the IT Act, 2000 prescribes punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form.

2. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 criminalises the sale of obscene books under Section 294.

3. The government blocked 18 OTT platforms in March 2024 based on references from the National Commission on Protection of Child Rights.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricEasy

How many OTT platforms were blocked by the Union government in February 2026?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the primary objective of the government's action of disabling OTT platforms as mentioned in the article?

All 15 MCQs ▸
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