Govt blocks 50 OTT platforms in 2 years, reaches 11.37 lakh people through cyber awareness drive amid digital addiction concerns

The Centre has disabled public access to 50 over-the-top (OTT) platforms over the past two years for allegedly hosting obscene content, while stepping up efforts to tackle digital addiction and strengthen online safety through legal safeguards and large-scale cyber awareness initiatives.

The action was taken under provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Wednesday.

The ministry stated, "The government's digital governance framework is designed to ensure an open, safe, trusted and accountable internet, with a particular emphasis on protecting children online."

The information was shared by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

50 OTT platforms disabled over obscene content

The government has blocked 50 OTT platforms from public access in India over the past two years for violations related to obscene and sexually explicit content under Sections 67 and 67A of the IT Act, Section 294 of the BNS and other applicable legal provisions, MeitY said in the statement.

The ministry also said recent amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 require social media platforms and other intermediaries to remove unlawful content within three hours of receiving an order from a competent court or a reasoned direction from the appropriate government or its authorised agency.

DPDP Act, gaming law target child safety and digital addiction

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 establishes a legal framework to safeguard children's online privacy by mandating parental consent before processing minors' personal data and prohibiting tracking, behavioural monitoring and targeted advertising directed at children, the ministry said.

It added that the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 is aimed at addressing growing concerns over digital addiction and financial harm among young users.

Referring to the Economic Survey 2025-26, MeitY said digital addiction has emerged as a major public health challenge, particularly among people aged 15-29 years, with adverse effects on cognitive development, academic performance, workplace productivity, mental health and social well-being.

11.37 lakh citizens covered through cyber awareness programme

Under the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) programme, the government has conducted 6,650 cyber awareness workshops across the country, reaching more than 11.37 lakh participants, including students, teachers, law enforcement personnel, government officials and members of the public, the ministry said.

Besides workshops, multilingual handbooks, videos, posters, brochures and educational material for children have been disseminated through print, electronic and social media platforms.

MeitY said agencies such as CERT-In, along with the Ministry of Education, CBSE and NCERT, have also rolled out cyber safety guidelines, awareness campaigns and curriculum modules to promote responsible digital behaviour and strengthen online safety among students.