New Delhi: The government has banned 25 OTT platforms in 2025 for airing inappropriate content, signalling a tougher enforcement stance against unlawful and harmful material online, Union minister of state for electronics and IT Jitin Prasada informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The Centre said its digital policy framework is aimed at ensuring an open, safe, trusted and accountable internet, with a special focus on protecting women and children from exploitation and abuse. The enforcement architecture is anchored in the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which impose due-diligence obligations on intermediaries and social media platforms.
Under the rules, platforms are barred from hosting or transmitting content that is obscene, sexually explicit, invasive of privacy, deceptive or misleading—including through deepfakes—or that promotes hate, violence or threatens public order and national security. The framework also mandates time-bound takedowns, including a 24-hour deadline for removing non-consensual intimate imagery and similar content, and requires intermediaries to inform users about consequences such as content removal or account suspension.
The government said intermediaries must act expeditiously on court orders, government directions or user grievances, with grievance officers required to resolve complaints within 72 hours, and sensitive content involving privacy violations, impersonation or nudity to be taken down within 24 hours. Failure to comply can lead to platforms losing their safe-harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act and facing prosecution under applicable laws.
The Centre also pointed to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which mandates parental consent for processing children’s data and bans tracking, behavioural monitoring and targeted advertising aimed at minors, as well as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the POCSO Act, 2012, which provide criminal penalties for online obscenity, misinformation and child sexual exploitation material.
To strengthen enforcement, the government said it operates the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, has set up the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), blocks child sexual abuse material (CSAM) based on inputs from global agencies, and works with internet service providers to dynamically restrict access to such content. Public awareness campaigns and international cooperation mechanisms are also being used to improve reporting and takedown of illegal material.
The minister said these measures reflect the government’s intent to combine platform accountability, user protection and stricter law enforcement as India’s digital economy and content ecosystem continue to expand.