Centre cracks down on Telegram over film and OTT piracy issues

Soon after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) pulled up Meta — first over WhatsApp’s planned username rollout, then over Instagram ads accused of promoting child sexual abuse material — the government has turned its attention to Telegram, over rampant film and OTT piracy on the messaging app, according to official sources.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) on Saturday issued a formal notice directing Telegram to take immediate steps against the unchecked circulation of pirated movies and streaming content on its platform. The platform has been given 15 days to file a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) outlining the corrective measures it has put in place.