Indian Government Bans 21 OTT Apps Including ULLU, ALTT, Desiflix for Obscene Content Violations

In a sweeping crackdown on indecent content streaming, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Government of India, has banned 21 Over-The-Top (OTT) applications for allegedly hosting and distributing sexually explicit and obscene material in violation of Indian law. The banned platforms include ULLU, ALTT, Desiflix, Big Shots, Boomex, and Wow Entertainment, among others—many of which were popular in India’s Tier-2 and Tier-3 digital entertainment markets.

According to the Ministry, these apps were found guilty of breaching several critical statutes, including:

• Sections 67 & 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 – Prohibiting the publication or transmission of obscene and sexually explicit content.

• Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 – Addressing obscene acts and songs in public spaces.

• Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 – Barring the portrayal of women in an indecent or derogatory manner.

These platforms reportedly streamed sexually explicit scenes, nudity, and provocative content with little to no artistic or narrative value, often exploiting taboo themes and inappropriate relationships. Several shows were accused of normalizing or glamorizing obscenity under the guise of adult entertainment.

The full list of banned applications includes:

• ULLU

• ALTT

• Desiflix

• Big Shots

• Boomex

• Navarasa Lite

• Gulab App

• Kangan App

• Bull App

• Jalva App

• Wow Entertainment

• Look Entertainment

• Hitprime

• Feneo

• ShowX

• Sol Talkies

• Adda TV

• HotX VIP

• Hulchul App

• MoodX

• NeonX VIP

• Fugi

• Mojflix

• Triflicks

  
  

All Internet Service Providers (ISPs) across India have been instructed to block public access to these platforms with immediate effect. The Ministry has also coordinated with the Department of Telecommunications to ensure swift compliance.

This move underscores the government’s growing intent to regulate digital spaces and reinforce cultural and legal standards, especially in the wake of increasing concerns about unrestricted access to adult content by minors. While it has drawn applause from conservative quarters for "cleaning up the web," it also raises renewed questions around the blurry lines between censorship and creative freedom.