New Delhi, July 4: The Central government has issued a notice to Telegram, directing the messaging platform to curb the pirated content on Telegram and take action against the widespread sharing of pirated films, OTT content and other audio visual material.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has asked Telegram to submit an Action Taken Report within 15 days. Officials said the move reflects the government’s focus on ensuring platform accountability rather than relying only on individual content takedowns.
Pirated Content on Telegram Faces Government Crackdown
According to officials, the Ministry informed Telegram that copyright infringement is not only a civil violation but also a criminal offence under the Copyright Act, 1957, and the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
The government stated that Telegram cannot depend solely on authorities to identify piracy channels. It said a channel by channel takedown approach does not meet the due diligence requirements under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
The Ministry has also sought details of Telegram’s grievance redressal mechanism for film producers, OTT platforms and law enforcement agencies.
Officials said the platform has been reminded of its obligations as an intermediary under the IT Act and the IT Rules.
The notice follows recent regulatory action against Meta. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology questioned Meta over WhatsApp’s proposed username feature and later decided to summon the company regarding Instagram advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material.
The government warned that continued availability of pirated content, inadequate compliance or an incomplete response could invite further legal action under the applicable laws. It said the move aims to protect India’s creator economy, film industry, broadcasters, OTT platforms, producers and distributors.
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