Startup Originals Team
The Government of India has blocked five over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms, including Jugnu and MoodXVIP, after finding that they were distributing obscene and potentially pornographic content in violation of Indian law. The move is part of a broad enforcement effort to ensure online content complies with existing digital media regulations and public decency standards.
Platforms Blocked and Legal Basis
The five OTT services affected by the ban are MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro, Digi Movieplex, Feel, and Jugnu. Authorities directed internet service providers (ISPs) to disable access to these platforms for users in India under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, following requirements in the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These provisions empower the government to block online services that host content deemed obscene, pornographic, or otherwise in violation of legal norms.
Officials said the decision came after multiple warnings and advisories to the platforms to comply with the IT Rules, which prohibit the publishing of “obscene, pornographic, invasive of privacy, insulting or harassing” material. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) worked with the Ministries of Home Affairs, Women and Child Development, Electronics and Technology, and Law and Justice, as well as industry bodies and rights experts, before issuing the blocking orders.
Broader Context: Ongoing Crackdown on Objectionable OTT Content
This latest action follows earlier crackdowns in which the government ordered access to dozens of digital streaming services to be blocked for similar violations. In July 2025, authorities restricted access to a larger set of websites and mobile apps after determining they were streaming obscene, vulgar, or explicitly sexual content without adequate editorial oversight or age-appropriate safeguards. Many of those services continued to reappear under alternate domains, leading to renewed blocking orders.
Underlying legal provisions cited in government directives include Section 67A of the IT Act, which addresses sexually explicit material, as well as related provisions in the Indian Penal Code and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. The IT Rules also require digital platforms to implement age-based content classification and grievance redressal mechanisms.
Government’s Stated Objectives
Government officials have said the purpose of the enforcement is to protect public decency, safeguard national interests, and ensure that digital media platforms adhere to prescribed ethical standards. Regulators maintain that compliance with the laws is essential to retain legal protections such as safe-harbour provisions under the IT Act; failure to do so can expose platforms to prosecution or loss of intermediary immunity.
At the same time, the crackdown has spurred discussion on the balance between content regulation and creative freedom, as India’s OTT ecosystem continues to expand rapidly with a diverse range of regional and national streaming services.
Impact on Viewers
With access disabled in India, users seeking content from the blocked platforms have found their services unreachable without potential workarounds. Industry analysts say the government will likely monitor compliance and may take further action if similar violations are found on other digital platforms.
