Centre Gives 15-Day Ultimatum To Telegram, Seeks Action Against Illegal Film, OTT Content
Centre Gives 15-Day Ultimatum To Telegram, Seeks Action Against Illegal Film, OTT Content Published By, Last Updated: July 04, 2026, 12:47 IST India's I&B Ministry
Centre Gives 15-Day Ultimatum To Telegram, Seeks Action Against Illegal Film, OTT Content Published By, Last Updated: July 04, 2026, 12:47 IST India's I&B Ministry notified Telegram to act against pirated films and OTT content, demanding an Action Taken Report in 15 days to protect the creator economy. he platform has also been asked to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days. The Central government has issued a notice to Telegram over the widespread circulation of pirated films and OTT content on the platform. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has directed Telegram to take immediate action against channels and content involved in copyright infringement. The platform has also been asked to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days. According to the ministry, the move is aimed at protecting India’s creator economy and safeguarding the interests of the film industry, broadcasters, OTT platforms, producers and distributors from online piracy. The latest notice follows complaints from several OTT platforms and content owners alleging that copyrighted films and web series were being widely shared on Telegram without authorisation.
After examining the complaints, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) identified 3,142 Telegram channels allegedly distributing pirated movies, web series and other copyrighted content. The notice has been issued under the Information Technology Act, 2000, directing Telegram to remove the infringing content and strengthen compliance with intermediary obligations. Under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, online intermediaries are required to remove unlawful content after receiving a valid government notice or court order. The government’s move is part of a broader anti-piracy drive aimed at protecting India’s film industry, OTT platforms, broadcasters, producers and distributors from copyright infringement. Notice To Telegram, WhatsApp Over Username Feature In another separate move, the Central government expanded its scrutiny of the ‘username’ feature on messaging platforms, issuing notices to Telegram and Signal after raising similar concerns with WhatsApp. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked both Telegram and Signal to explain how their username feature works and what safeguards are in place to prevent impersonation, identity theft and misuse.
The move comes days after the Centre sent a notice to Meta over WhatsApp’s planned rollout of usernames in India, expressing concerns that the feature could make online fraud and cybercrime easier. According to Meta, a username is an optional unique identifier beginning with the ‘@’ symbol that allows users to receive messages and calls without sharing their phone number. However, the Centre believes the feature could be exploited by cybercriminals. In its notice to Meta, the government said, “It is felt that the feature may materially increase the incidence of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks, by enabling bad actors to solicit and message victims." The notice further warned that the feature could “facilitate impersonation and identity spoofing, including impersonation of individuals, public authorities, financial institutions, and government agencies, by permitting the adoption of usernames closely resembling those of genuine persons or institutions." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Anushka Vats Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom.
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