Why IPO-Ready Ullu Is In Trouble Over Some Of Its Adult Content

IPO-bound Ullu, an OTT platform catering to an adult audience with movies and series, is reportedly facing scrutiny from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) over concerns of making sexual content easily accessible to minors and allegedly hosting content depicting school-going children in sexual situations.

What Happened: The NCPCR, in a letter dated February 27, urged the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to take action against Google and Apple and to enforce stricter know your customer (KYC) norms for users accessing Ullu and similar apps on app stores. The commission requested a detailed report within 10 days.

Ullu, with over 20 lakh subscribers, filed draft papers with the BSE small and medium enterprises board to raise ₹150 crore through a public issue. It plans to utilise the funds to create content for both big and small screens.

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Evidence Attached: The NCPCR reportedly received a complaint from “gems of Bollywood” alleging extremely obscene and objectionable content on the Ullu app, available on both Play Store and iOS platforms, without stringent KYC requirements. The complaint cited explicit sexual scenes and plotlines targeting school children, with screenshots annexed to the letter.

NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo urged MeitY to inquire into the matter and take appropriate action against Ullu, Google Play Store and iOS as per the law. The commission also called for stringent measures mandating KYC procedures for such applications to protect children.

Ullu intends to allocate ₹30 crore from the IPO proceeds for new content production. It reported increased content acquisition and production costs in recent years, alongside raising subscription prices for its subscribers.

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