Govt Gives Telegram 15-Day Deadline to Stop Film and OTT Piracy

The Government of India has issued a notice to messaging platform Telegram, giving it 15 days to stop the widespread circulation of pirated films, OTT content and other audio-visual material.

The notice, issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) on Saturday, asks the platform to strengthen its mechanism for detecting, blocking and removing pirated content.

Proactive Action Sought

The ministry said Telegram cannot rely solely on government directions to block channels carrying pirated content.

It noted that Telegram, as an intermediary under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and IT Rules, 2021, is expected to take proactive steps to prevent copyright violations. The move is aimed at protecting the interests of the film industry, OTT platforms, broadcasters, distributors, and the wider creator economy.

Action Against Repeat Violators

The government has directed Telegram to take strict action against repeat offenders, including channels, groups, automated bots, accounts and administrators involved in sharing pirated content.

The platform has also been asked to provide details of its grievance redressal system for producers, OTT platforms and law enforcement agencies. The ministry reminded that piracy is both a civil and criminal offence under the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

Reference to Earlier Ban

The notice comes after the government had earlier blocked more than 3,000 Telegram channels involved in piracy.

It also referred to the temporary restriction imposed on Telegram until June 22 during the NEET-UG examination period amid a CBI investigation into alleged paper leak and irregularities. The restriction was upheld by the Delhi High Court on June 19.

15 Days to Submit Report

Telegram has now been directed to submit an Action Taken Report within 15 days, detailing the steps taken to curb piracy on its platform.