The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a notice to Telegram under the Information Technology Act, directing the platform to remove pirated content circulating on its channels.
The move follows complaints from OTT platforms, including JioCinema and Amazon Prime Video, which alleged widespread unauthorised distribution of copyrighted films and web series through Telegram channels.
Over 3,000 channels were identified as allegedly involved in distributing pirated material, with officials asking Telegram to remove the infringing content within three hours of receiving the notification.
The government invoked Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act and Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, requiring online intermediaries to remove unlawful content once notified by authorities.
Failure to comply could result in the platform losing its safe harbour protection, which shields intermediaries from liability for content posted by users.
