Government Directs Telegram to Strengthen Anti Piracy Measures, Seeks Compliance Report in 15 Days
The article reports that the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has issued a formal notice to Telegram, directing the platform to significantly strengthen its anti-piracy measures and submit a compliance (Action Taken) Report within 15 days. The government says pirated films, television programmes, OTT content and other copyrighted audiovisual material continue to circulate widely through Telegram channels, groups, bots and user accounts, causing substantial losses to India’s entertainment industry.
According to the notice, Telegram has been instructed to improve its ability to detect, remove and prevent the distribution of infringing content rather than relying solely on complaints from copyright owners. The platform must explain the safeguards it has in place to identify copyright violations, disable access to unauthorized content, and prevent repeated uploads of the same material.
The government also wants Telegram to take stronger action against repeat offenders, including channels, groups, bots, administrators and user accounts that repeatedly distribute pirated content. In addition, the platform has been asked to provide details of its grievance redressal mechanism for film producers, broadcasters, OTT platforms, copyright owners and law enforcement agencies so that piracy complaints can be handled more effectively.
Officials describe the notice as marking a shift in India’s anti-piracy strategy. Rather than focusing on removing individual piracy channels one by one, authorities now intend to hold digital platforms directly accountable for implementing proactive systems that prevent copyright infringement. The ministry reminded Telegram that copyright infringement is not only a civil matter but can also constitute a criminal offence under the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Cinematograph Act, 1952, while intermediaries are required to exercise due diligence under the Information Technology Act and the IT Rules, 2021.
The directive forms part of a broader regulatory push by the Indian government to increase oversight of major digital platforms. Alongside copyright enforcement, authorities have recently scrutinized services such as WhatsApp, Signal and Instagram over issues including usernames, impersonation, fraud and harmful content. The Telegram notice reflects the government’s wider effort to strengthen intermediary accountability across the digital ecosystem.
The article concludes that India is placing greater responsibility on online platforms to prevent piracy before it spreads. Telegram’s response to the notice and the effectiveness of any new compliance measures are likely to influence how the government approaches future enforcement against messaging platforms and other digital intermediaries that host copyrighted content.
