iWorld
Whatsapp set to roll out new multi-device feature
Mumbai: Instant messaging app, WhatsApp is set to roll out a feature that would allow users to log into the messaging platform on their personal computers without being online through their smartphones.
The feature is currently at the beta testing stage on selected Android and iOS devices, and has been made available in the settings menu of the app. Users will have to manually opt in for the feature.
Presently, in order to use WhatsApp Web, which is the personal computer version of the messaging service, users have to keep their phones online. With the potential roll-out of the latest feature, users will no longer need to keep the phone near their laptop and make sure it is online before using WhatsApp Web. The linked personal computer would be able to receive and send messages for up to 14 days. This, if the user decides to not manually log out.
The feature will be useful when users lose their smartphones but require Whatsapp to stay connected.
iWorld
OTT piracy hits Rs 8,000–11,000 crore annually in 2025
Illegal feeds drain broadcasters as MIB task force moves slowly; OTT now main piracy source with 63 per cent share.
MUMBAI: India’s TV screens are leaking money faster than a pirate’s ship because when signals get stolen, the only thing sinking is the industry’s bottom line. DTH signal piracy has escalated into a multi-billion-rupee crisis for India’s broadcast sector, with illegal feeds causing an estimated Rs 22,400 crore loss in 2023 alone. Industry estimates show roughly 90 million users accessed pirated video content outside India in 2024, inflicting $1.2 billion (≈ Rs 10,000 crore) in notional losses equivalent to about 10 per cent of the legal video market. Without stronger intervention, projections warn this could balloon to 158 million users and $2.4 billion in losses by 2029.
Broadcasters and distributors report piracy now eats over 30 per cent of their revenues, crippling reinvestment in content and infrastructure. The shift is stark, while DTH once dominated pay TV, active subscribers fell to around 56.92 million in early 2025 amid subscriber churn to OTT platforms, which now boast over 547 million video streamers. Yet piracy has followed the audience OTT has become the primary source for illegal content, accounting for 63 per cent of such access and driving Rs 8,000–11,000 crore in annual losses for the streaming market.
The industry has repeatedly urged the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) to mandate forensic watermarking technology that embeds invisible identifiers in video streams to trace unauthorised feeds back to their source. Other proposed measures include physical verification for set-top box activations and location-based services. MIB established a task force to tackle the issue, and a nationwide consultation began in late 2025, but stakeholders say progress remains slow and the mandate too narrow, still excluding full coverage of cable and satellite networks.
The broader media and entertainment sector valued at Rs 2.5 trillion in 2024 faces mounting headwinds from piracy’s evolution. Cross-border enforcement remains complex, consumer preference for free content persists, and technological countermeasures spark an ongoing arms race. Without faster regulatory teeth and wider safeguards, broadcasters warn, the projected doubling of losses by 2029 could choke innovation and global competitiveness.
For an industry already squeezed by OTT migration, signal theft isn’t just theft, it’s a slow bleed threatening the very content that keeps viewers hooked. The question now isn’t whether piracy hurts; it’s how long the legitimate players can keep the lights on while the pirates keep the party going for free.
