The government of India has disabled access to over 50 OTT platforms over the past 2 years for violating provisions of the Information Technology Act as it continues to strengthen online safety, digital well-being and child protection measures, ANI reported.
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwani Vaishnaw said, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, that the government's policies are aimed at ensuring “an open, safe, trusted and accountable internet for its users, including children”.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that recent amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media) rules in 2021 now require social media platforms and other intermediaries to remove unlawful content judged as obscene or inappropriate within 3 hours of receiving an order from an appropriate government entity.
The letter also highlighted the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, as another step towards a more secure internet for its users, which now mandates parental consent for processing children's personal data and prohibits practices such as tracking, monitoring, and targeted advertising directed at children.
Digital addiction serious public health challenge
Citing the Economic Survey 2025-26, the ministry identified digital addiction as a serious public health challenge, specifically targeting the youth. This is seen as serious because it indicates that it affects their cognitive development, well-being, workplace productivity, mental health, financial well-being, and academic performance. The government said that the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, is a step towards addressing this issue.
Additionally, to strengthen cyber awareness, the government said it has conducted 6,650 Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) workshops, involving more than 11.37 Lakh participants, including teachers, students, law enforcement officers, and government officials. It also added that it is incorporating awareness initiatives into the CERT-In, CBSE, and NCERT curricula to promote online safety amongst adolescents.
