Centre Directs Telegram To Curb Online Piracy, Seeks Action Taken Report Within 15 Days
The Centre has directed Telegram to curb the circulation of pirated films, OTT content and other copyrighted material, asking it to submit an Action Taken Report within 15 days. The government said platforms must exercise due diligence under the IT Act and warned that inadequate compliance could invite further legal action.
The Centre has directed Telegram to strengthen anti-piracy measures and submit an Action Taken Report within 15 days | AI Generated Representational Image
New Delhi, July 4, 2026: The Centre has issued a notice to messaging platform Telegram, directing it to curb the widespread circulation of pirated films, OTT content and other copyrighted audio-visual material on its platform, government officials said on Saturday.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has asked Telegram to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days, marking what officials described as a shift from seeking individual content takedowns to holding platforms accountable for preventing copyright violations, PTI reported.
According to officials, the ministry informed Telegram that copyright infringement is not merely a civil violation but also a criminal offence under the Copyright Act, 1957, and the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
Government Warns Of Further Action
"The Ministry has made it clear that Telegram cannot merely wait for the government to identify each piracy channel one by one. A purely reactive, channel-by-channel takedown approach may not be enough to demonstrate due diligence by the platform, as required under the IT Act, 2000, and the IT Rules, 2021," officials said.
The notice comes days after the Centre initiated regulatory action against Meta. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a notice to the company over WhatsApp's proposed username feature and later decided to summon Meta over Instagram advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material.
Platform Asked To Strengthen Compliance
Separately, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sought details of Telegram's grievance redressal mechanism for film producers, OTT platforms and law enforcement agencies. Sources said the platform has been reminded of its obligation, as an intermediary, to exercise due diligence under the Information Technology Act and the IT Rules.
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"The Government has made it clear that the continued availability of pirated content, evasive compliance, or an incomplete response may invite further examination and action under the applicable legal framework. The action has been taken to protect India's creator economy, film industry, broadcasters, OTT platforms, producers, and distributors," an official said.
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