The Centre on Monday blocked a Pakistan-based OTT app for broadcasting content “detrimental to national security”.
Utilising emergency powers under IT Rules 2021, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry issued directions to block the website, two mobile applications, four social media accounts, and one smart TV app of Pakistan-based OTT platform Vidly TV.
Officials said that Vidly TV had recently released a web series — ‘Sevak: The Confessions’ — which was found “detrimental to national security, sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, India’s friendly relations with foreign states, and public order in the country”. Three episodes of the web series have been released.
Its first episode was aired on November 26, the anniversary of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and the content shows “distorted version of sensitive historical events pertaining to India”, sources said.
The series portrayed an anti-India narrative on sensitive subjects such as Operation Bluestar, demolition of the Babri Masjid, killing of Christian missionary Graham Staines, Malegaon blasts, Samjhauta Express blasts, and the inter-state river water disputes, according to ministry officials.
In September, the I&B Ministry had directed YouTube to remove 45 videos from its 10 channels, saying the content included “fake news and morphed videos aimed at spreading hatred among religious communities”.
Union I&B Minister Anurag Singh Thakur had said, “This is a continuous process and action will be taken against all such sites and channels in the future as well.”