No Entry: ALTT and 24 Others Locked Out as India Redraws Streaming Boundaries

The government of India has implemented its largest digital purge to date, ordering internet distributors and providers throughout the nation to ban ALTT—the OTT arm of Balaji Telefilms—and 24 other streaming sites for supposedly broadcasting obscene and pornographic material. The action, taken 25 July 2025, immediately drove shares of Balaji Telefilms into a 5% fall and set fire to fiery discussions of censorship, morality, and online liberties throughout the sector.

 

Key Highlights

 

Mass Ban: MIB ordered ISPs to ban access to 25 OTT platforms and their related 26 websites and 14 apps (Google Play & Apple App Store both) on the pretext of non-compliance with the IT Act, 2000 and IT Rules, 2021.

 

Trigger for Action: The platforms—i.e., ALTT, Ullu, Desiflix, Big Shots App, and Mojflix—were found to contain "obscene, sexually explicit, and in most cases pornographic content" and had no "social message or storyline.".

 

Consultative Process: The MIB acted on months of warning and complaints by consulting various ministries, legal bodies, industry associations (CII & FICCI), and child/women's rights specialists for an evidence-based crackdown.

 

Legal & Financial Impact: Balaji Telefilms has lost a significant reputational value, with 11% of its recent annual revenues coming from its digital business ALTT (formerly ALTBalaji). Investors worry about further disruption of its digital strategy and order book.

 

Scope of Ban: Content was prohibited for sexual innuendo, nudity, and indecency—occasionally in family-based storylines—contravening Section 67 & 67A of the IT Act, Section 292 of the IPC, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.

 

Industry Reaction: The ban, while impacting several lesser-known apps, is a strong sign that even large indexed players are not exempt from complying.

 

What's Next: The government's action could result in increased use of VPNs and piracy as it opens the door to regulating online content in India.

 

Source: Indian Express, Storyboard18, Times of India