In reality, the Indian government has banned Ullu and 24 other Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms for allegedly streaming obscene, vulgar, and in some cases, pornographic content.
It looks like the Indian government has ordered a nationwide ban on the OTT platform Ullu, not because of news content, but due to violations involving obscene, vulgar, and in some cases pornographic content. This includes apps and websites that streamed content found to breach Indian laws and broadcasting ethics norms.
On July 25, 2025, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued a directive to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to 25 OTT platforms across India—including Ullu, ALTT (formerly ALTBalaji), Desiflix, among others.
The decision followed repeated warnings and advisories over a period exceeding a year, including cases where platforms resurfaced under new domains after earlier blocks in 2024.
The violations cited include:
- Section 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000,
- Section 292 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,
- and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986
- Reason for Ban:Â The platforms were found to be violating Indian laws and cultural norms by disseminating sexually explicit content, sometimes disguised as “erotic web series” or “soft porn”.
- Legal Basis:Â The ban was implemented under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and other provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and related laws.
- Government Action:Â The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed Internet Service Providers to disable public access to these platforms in India.
- Affected Platforms:Â Besides Ullu, other platforms like ALTT, Desiflix, Big Shots App, and NeonX VIP were also affected by the ban.Â
