New Delhi: Cracking down on digital piracy, the Government of India has issued a stern notice to messaging platform Telegram, directing it to act against the widespread circulation of pirated films and OTT content within 15 days.
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) said the move is aimed at safeguarding India's creator economy, including filmmakers, broadcasters, producers, distributors, and streaming platforms.
Telegram has been asked to strengthen its systems for detecting, reporting, and removing infringing content, and to act against repeat offenders such as channels, groups, bots, and administrators.
The ministry also demanded details of Telegram's grievance redressal mechanism for producers, OTT platforms, and law enforcement agencies, along with an Action Taken Report within the deadline.
Officials underscored that copyright infringement is not just a civil violation but a criminal offence under the Copyright Act, 1957 and Cinematograph Act, 1952.
The notice signals a shift from piecemeal takedowns to platform accountability, following earlier action against over 3,000 piracy-linked Telegram channels.