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India has put the kibosh on 25 streaming services for allegedly pushing “obscene” content, marking one of the nation’s biggest digital crackdowns. The affected services, like Ullu and ALTT, cater to India’s appetite for adult and edgy entertainment.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued orders to block these services, citing IT laws. Concerns were raised about mature content being streamed without safeguards.
Tech giants like Google and Apple were contacted to restrict these services, but some major ones are still up and running. In-app purchases on Google Play and the App Store have generated a substantial $5.7 million.
Not all services were listed on app stores, with some offering direct APK downloads. ALTT, for instance, raked in millions in revenue and subscribers but is now facing restrictions.
Ullu, another prominent service, is still available via its app on the Indian Play Store, despite the ban. The parent company, Ullu Digital, reported impressive profits.
These services were not only making big bucks but also attracting millions of global visits, with Ullu and ALTT seeing significant growth in traffic.
India has a history of cracking down on streaming platforms for explicit content, even though there’s ambiguity in regulations.
India Cracking Down on Obscene Content
Back in 2023, the Indian information broadcasting minister had some strong words for streaming platforms that dared to serve up abusive and obscene content. The government in New Delhi even went so far as to block thousands of websites that were streaming pornographic material. And just this past April, India’s Supreme Court got involved, issuing notices to both streaming platforms and the government itself, in response to a plea to regulate sexually explicit content.
A Never-Ending Battle
Despite the government’s best efforts, stamping out obscene content has proven to be quite the challenge in India. The smaller streaming services that are the target of these crackdowns have a habit of popping back up under new names, with new apps, and on different domains. What’s more, even big players like Google, Apple, and internet providers struggle to fully block access to these platforms, as they often find ways to resurface through alternative channels like social media platforms.
