The Government has disabled 50 OTT platforms for public access in India over the last two years for displaying obscene content and violating Sections 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has informed Parliament.
As per media reports, Vaishnaw has made the disclosure in a written reply to Lok Sabha member Sambit Patra. In a separate written response to Lok Sabha member Rajabhau Parag Prakash Waje, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan has said that the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules have been notified to establish an institutional mechanism for publishers of current affairs content on digital media and OTT platforms.
The Government has also reiterated that Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act has empowered authorities to notify intermediaries to remove or disable access to unlawful content.
Vaishnaw has further said that recent amendments to the IT Rules have required social media platforms and other intermediaries to remove unlawful content within three hours of receiving a court order or a reasoned intimation from the government or its authorised agency.
On online safety measures, the Minister has said that the Digital Personal Data Protection Act has established a legal framework for processing digital personal data and safeguarding children’s privacy online, while the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act has addressed concerns related to digital addiction and financial harm among young users.
He has also stated that the Economic Survey 2025-26 has identified digital addiction as a serious public health challenge affecting children and youth, particularly those aged between 15 and 29 years.
Vaishnaw has added that the Government has implemented the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) project to strengthen information security skills and promote cyber hygiene. Under the initiative, 6,650 workshops have been conducted across the country, covering more than 11.37 lakh participants. The Government has also published multilingual handbooks, short videos, posters, brochures and children’s educational material to spread cyber safety awareness.
The Minister has said that CERT-In has regularly shared safety tips, awareness posters, infographics and videos through its official website and social media channels to educate internet users about cyber security threats, online fraud and child online safety. He has also noted that the Ministry of Education issued the PRAGYATA Guidelines on Digital Education in July 2020 to promote safe online learning, while CBSE and NCERT have contributed to developing and disseminating related resource materials.
