Centre orders Telegram to crack down on movie, OTT piracy, seek action report within 15 days

The Central government has directed Telegram to step up action against the circulation of pirated films and OTT content on its platform, asking the messaging service to remove infringing material and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days. The move is part of a wider effort to strengthen copyright enforcement and hold digital platforms accountable for online piracy.

The notice, issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), instructs Telegram to take immediate action against channels and content involved in copyright infringement.

According to the ministry, the objective is to protect India's creator economy and safeguard the interests of the film industry, broadcasters, OTT platforms, producers and distributors from online piracy.

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Government shifts focus to platform accountability

The latest communication signals a move beyond individual takedowns towards greater platform responsibility.

The government had earlier taken action against more than 3,000 Telegram channels accused of distributing pirated content. In its latest notice, the I&B Ministry reminded Telegram that, as an intermediary, it is required to exercise due diligence under the IT Act and the IT Rules.

The ministry said Telegram cannot rely solely on the government to identify every piracy-related channel individually.

“A purely reactive, channel-by-channel takedown approach may not be enough to show due diligence by the platform as required under the IT Act, 2000, and IT Rules, 2021."

Copyright infringement termed a criminal offence

The ministry further emphasised that copyright infringement is not merely a civil violation but also a criminal offence under the Copyright Act, 1957, and the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

The notice underlines the government's intent to strengthen compliance with copyright laws and ensure digital platforms take proactive measures to curb piracy.

Telegram block linked to Neet-UG re-exam

Telegram was recently blocked in India until June 22, a move seen as an effort to prevent possible irregularities ahead of the June 21 Neet-UG re-exam.

The examination, originally held on May 3, was cancelled on May 12 after overlaps were found between a leaked guess paper and the actual question paper, prompting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and leading to 13 arrests.

Neet (UG) is the nationwide entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate medical programmes.

The government-imposed restriction on Telegram, widely used by students to share study material, was later challenged in the Delhi High Court. On June 19, the court upheld the government's decision to block the platform for six days ahead of the Neet-UG re-examination.