Action on content piracy, stop Telegram immediately, government seeks report within 15 days

New Delhi. The central government has taken a tough stance regarding the increasing piracy of films and OTT content in the country. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a notice to messaging platform Telegram directing it to take immediate and effective action against pirated content. The government has sought a detailed report from the platform within 15 days in which it will have to explain what steps have been taken so far to stop piracy. According to reports, this step of the government is not limited only to stopping copyright infringement but is also related to protecting the interests of India’s rapidly growing creator economy, film industry, OTT platforms, broadcasters, producers and distributors.

Read :- Delhi High Court Verdict: Big blow to Telegram from Delhi High Court, ‘Government has the power’ to ban it.

Why did the government show strictness?

Officials say that now the government’s strategy is not just to remove individual pirated links or channels but to fix accountability on those platforms where copyright infringement is taking place on a large scale. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has clarified in its notice that copyright infringement cannot be treated as just an ordinary civil dispute but also amounts to a serious criminal offense under Indian laws. The Ministry has emphasized that the platforms will have to take the responsibility of proactively identifying such content and removing it.

What message was sent to Telegram?

According to government sources, the ministry has told Telegram in clear words that it cannot simply wait for the pirated channels to be identified by the government or the complainants. The Ministry believes that merely taking action after receiving a complaint is not sufficient to meet the due diligence requirements prescribed under the Information Technology laws. According to officials, if pirated content continues to be available on any platform and effective action is not taken against it, then further investigation and action can be taken under the relevant legal provisions.

Read:- Heated debate in Delhi High Court on Telegram ban, company’s advocate claimed legal flaws in the order.

Telegram has been in controversies before also

It is noteworthy that even before this, Telegram has come under the scrutiny of government agencies regarding various matters. Questions were also raised about the activities of the platform during the alleged paper leak cases related to the medical entrance examination.

Notice has also been sent to Meta

This action against Telegram has come at a time when the central government has recently taken regulatory steps against Meta also. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had sought answers from the company regarding some proposed features of WhatsApp. Apart from this, a reply was also issued to the company regarding the spread of allegedly objectionable and child exploitation content on Instagram.

Information also sought on grievance redressal system

Read :- Telegram banned for a week in India due to fear of NEET paper leak, Center argued in the High Court, saying – ‘This app has become a hub of terrorist activities’

According to sources, the government has also sought detailed information from Telegram about its complaint redressal mechanism. In this it has been asked that under what process the complaints of film producers, OTT companies and investigating agencies are resolved and how much time does it take to process the complaints. Government officials say that digital platforms will have to fully comply with their responsibilities under India’s IT laws and regulations. The government has a clear message that activities that harm India’s creator economy and entertainment industry will no longer be taken lightly.