OTT Complaints Soar 944% in FY25; MIB Reveals Regulatory Pressure

• Complaints against OTT platforms surged 944% to 1,086 in FY25, up from 104 in FY24, according to MIB data.
• Digital news publishers also saw a 338% increase in grievances, reaching 859 complaints in FY25.
• MIB attributes the spike to wider OTT adoption, deeper market penetration, and heightened content sensitivity.
• The Ministry banned 25 websites/apps, including ALTT and ULLU, for hosting prohibited material under various laws.
• Government maintains a publisher-led grievance redressal, acting as a supervisory authority, not a content adjudicator.

Why It Matters: Consumer complaints against OTT and digital news platforms have drastically increased, intensifying regulatory scrutiny.