The rise of binge-watching culture on OTT platforms is becoming the most popular form of entertainment consumption in India. Currently, there are approximately 45 million OTT viewers in India, and this number is expected to reach 50 million by the end of 2023.
One of the USPs, why the digital audience is hooked to OTT platforms, is that there is no censorship. The platforms in the name of creative freedom have been serving all kinds of nudity, sexual content, vulgarity, and obscene language.
But for the first time in India, a regulatory body has ordered an OTT platform to withdraw its objectionable content.
The Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC), a self-regulatory body for OTT platforms in India, has recommended punitive action against the OTT platform ULLU for streaming obscene content. The council ordered ULLU to take down the objectionable content within 15 days.
Ullu is notorious for producing B-grade web series that rely on explicit content and provocative scenes to attract a young audience.
The Indian government has expressed concerns about abusive and obscene content on OTT platforms, emphasizing the responsibility of platforms to prevent such content.
The DPCGC’s action marks the first instance of invoking the Information Technology Rules (2021) for punitive measures.
