iWorld
Centre orders Telegram to crack down on pirated content in 15 days
MIB seeks action report as platform faces fresh scrutiny over copyright violations
NEW DELHI: Looks like Telegram’s latest message from the government comes with no option to mute. The Centre has put the messaging platform on notice over the circulation of pirated films, OTT shows and other copyrighted content, signalling a tougher crackdown on online piracy and copyright violations.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has directed Telegram to immediately strengthen its systems for detecting, reporting, disabling access to and removing infringing content. The platform has also been asked to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days, detailing the measures it has taken to curb piracy.
The move is part of the government’s broader effort to protect India’s growing creator economy and safeguard the interests of filmmakers, broadcasters, OTT platforms, producers and distributors, who continue to battle revenue losses caused by digital piracy.
Beyond removing infringing content, the ministry has instructed Telegram to act against repeat offenders, including channels, groups, bots, user accounts and administrators found repeatedly sharing pirated material. The government has emphasised that enforcement should extend beyond individual posts to the networks enabling persistent copyright violations.
Telegram has also been asked to share details of its grievance redressal mechanism for content owners, OTT platforms and law enforcement agencies, outlining how complaints are received, processed and resolved.
The latest directive adds to growing regulatory scrutiny of the platform in India. In June, Telegram came under the government’s scanner after the National Testing Agency (NTA) flagged the circulation of leaked examination papers ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.
Following the NTA’s recommendations, the government temporarily blocked Telegram from June 16 to June 22 and directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature until June 30, citing concerns over the potential misuse of the platform to manipulate and circulate examination-related content.
With the latest notice, the government has shifted its focus from examination leaks to copyright protection, underscoring its intent to tighten oversight of digital platforms as concerns over piracy, intellectual property rights and online misuse continue to grow.
