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.
According to a PTI report, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from Telegram within 15 days, signalling what officials described as a shift in the government's approach from individual content takedowns to holding platforms accountable for preventing piracy.
According to officials cited by PTI, 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.
"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. On Wednesday, 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.
Separately, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry 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.
"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.
(With inputs from PTI)