Today, On 28th April, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the petitioner, emphasized the need for stricter regulations as the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre, OTTs, and social media platforms, stating, “Court observed that this is a serious issue.”
New Delhi: Senior advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the petitioner in the Supreme Court concerning obscene content, highlighted the necessity for stricter regulations and a ban on such material.
The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre, as well as OTT and social media platforms, regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that seeks directions to implement measures to prevent the streaming of obscene content.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain stated,
“We have demanded that there should be a check and ban on obscene and indecent content floating on social media and OTTs.”
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, who represented the Union government, acknowledged that this is a serious concern and noted that the government has implemented some regulations.
The court issued a notice to the Centre and nine OTT and social media platforms that display such content, observing that “this is a serious issue.”
The petition called on the Centre,
“Take appropriate steps to prohibit the streaming of sexually explicit, pornographic, paedophilic, incestuous and other content of similar nature including nudity, X-rated scenes, etc., on OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Ullu, ALTT, etc., and social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Meta (formerly Facebook), Instagram, YouTube, etc.”
The PIL warned that if left unchecked, the unregulated spread of obscene material could have severe consequences on societal values, mental health, and public safety.
The petitioners stated that they felt compelled to address this issue due to the widespread availability of pornographic, obscene, and sexually deviant content on digital platforms.
They noted,
“The unchecked circulation of such material, including child pornography and softcore adult content, has contributed to a rising trend of crimes against women and children while negatively shaping the psychological development of young minds,”
The petition highlighted that OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Ullu, and ALTT (formerly ALT Balaji) continue to stream highly explicit content, some of which infringes on child rights and safety due to the inclusion of sexually deviant material.
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Additionally, the petition urged the Centre to block access to social media platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as OTT services, until a mechanism is established to ensure that all pornographic content is inaccessible, especially to children and minors in India.
It also called for the establishment of guidelines by forming a National Content Control Authority to prohibit sexually explicit content on OTT and social media platforms.
Case Title: UDAY MAHURKAR AND ORS. Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ORS., W.P.(C) No. 313/2025