New Delhi: The Central Government said on Thursday that it has blocked 18 OTT (over-the-top) platforms for obscene and vulgar content after multiple warnings.

“The action has been taken in coordination with various intermediaries to block 18 OTT platforms publishing obscene, vulgar, and, in some instances, pornographic content,” the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in a statement.

“A total of 19 websites, 10 apps, including 7 on the Google Play Store and 3 on the Apple App Store, along with 57 social media accounts associated with these platforms, have been disabled for public access in India,” the Ministry said.

Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur announced the decision to block 18 OTT platforms on March 12.

The decision was taken under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, in consultation with other Ministries and Departments of the Government and domain experts specializing in media and entertainment, women's rights, and child rights, the Ministry added.

(With UNI inputs)