The union government has issued a notice to the popular messaging platform Telegram over the large-scale piracy of films and over-the-top (OTT) content, directing it to take immediate measures to curb the menace and submit an action taken report within 15 days.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has asked Telegram to act swiftly against the sharing and distribution of pirated films and OTT material on its platform, government sources said. Telegram has been asked to strengthen systems for detection, reporting, disabling access to and removal of pirated films and infringing audio-visual content.
The messaging platform has also been directed to act against repeat infringers, including channels, groups, bots, accounts, administrators and associated entities. It has been further asked to furnish details of its grievance redressal system for producers, OTT platforms, and law-enforcement agencies.
Government issues notice to Telegram over widespread piracy. I&B Ministry directs Telegram to take immediate measures against pirated films & OTT content and submit Action Taken Report in 15 days. Govt action to protect India’s creator economy, film industry, broadcasters, OTT… pic.twitter.com/maGxdkSJBZ
— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2026
Reportedly, Telegram has been told that it can’t wait for Government to identify each piracy channel one by one, and it has to be proactive in preventing piracy.
Telegram has been given 15 days to submit an Action Taken Report on the steps taken to prevent, detect and remove pirated content from the platform. The move is aimed at protecting India’s creator economy, the film industry, broadcasters, OTT platforms, producers and distributors from the heavy losses caused by digital piracy.
This development comes just two days after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) sent a notice to Telegram over concerns surrounding its username feature. The earlier notice, issued on July 2, sought details from Telegram, and Signal on the safeguards in place to prevent impersonation, fraud and other misuse, as the feature allows users to connect and interact without revealing their phone numbers. A similar directive had been sent to WhatsApp a day earlier, asking it to pause the rollout of the feature in India over fears of phishing and fake identities.
Sources said the latest action by the I&B Ministry underscores the government’s determination to strengthen accountability on digital platforms and safeguard the interests of the creative sectors. Piracy has emerged as a major challenge for the Indian entertainment industry, leading to significant revenue leakage and affecting the livelihoods of thousands of people associated with film and content production.
