Ullu, a prominent over-the-top (OTT) platform renowned for its adult-centric movies and series, has recently come under the radar of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in the wake of concerns regarding the availability of explicit content on its app, the media has reported. On February 27, the national child rights authority issued a letter urging the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to initiate measures against Google and Apple and also advocated for the enforcement of stricter Know Your Customer protocols for individuals accessing Ullu and similar applications via Google and Apple's app stores.
According to news agency IANS which cited sources on Monday, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), through a formal letter, has appealed to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to address concerns regarding the Ullu app.
This development occurs as Ullu has submitted a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) for an initial public offering (IPO) aiming to raise approximately Rs 135-150 crore. The OTT platform intends to secure funds through a fresh issue of up to 62,62,800 equity shares.
During the April-September period of the current fiscal year (FY24), the OTT platform recorded revenue from operations amounting to Rs 58.33 crore, along with a profit of Rs 12.28 crore. As of September 2023, the company boasted 20,92,975 subscribers.
"The commission has received a complaint from gems of Bollywood alleging that the Ullu app, accessible on both Play Store and iOS mobile platforms, contains extremely obscene and objectionable content,” NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo was quoted saying in a letter to MeitY, as reported by Money Control.
“The app is easily accessible on Google and Apple and does not seem to have any KYC requirement for downloading or viewing any content it makes available to its private group,” the letter further added.
Notably, as the platform's content library continues to grow, the company has implemented price increases for its subscribers over the past few years. Ullu's annual subscription plan has seen a rise from Rs 198 in 2020 to Rs 459.