Government cracks down on Telegram again; orders immediate removal of pirated films and OTT content..
The government has taken a significant step against the rapidly rising issue of digital piracy in the country. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B Ministry) has issued a notice to the messaging platform Telegram, directing it to take stringent measures to immediately remove illegal and pirated content from its platform.
The Ministry has explicitly stated that the sharing of pirated movies, web series, and OTT content on Telegram must be stopped immediately. Furthermore, the government has asked the platform to submit a comprehensive report on the actions taken in this regard within the next 15 days.
**Loss to the Entertainment Sector**
This move by the government is considered crucial because piracy is causing substantial financial losses to India's film industry and digital entertainment sector. Many new movies and web series are illegally circulated shortly after their release, thereby impacting the earnings of producers.
This new notice follows complaints lodged by various OTT platforms and content owners. These complaints alleged that movies and web series were being shared on a large scale on Telegram without authorization. Following an investigation, the Ministry identified approximately 3,142 Telegram channels that were allegedly disseminating pirated content.
**Immediate Removal of All Illegal Content**
The government has issued this notice under the Information Technology Act, 2000. It directs Telegram to immediately remove all such illegal content and to further tighten its regulations. Additionally, under the IT Rules of 2021, online platforms are required to remove unlawful content upon receiving orders from the government or the courts.
**Scrutiny Intensified Regarding Username Feature**
This entire action is part of a major government campaign aimed at curbing online piracy in the country and ensuring that digital content creators receive their due rights. Meanwhile, the government has also intensified its scrutiny regarding the 'username' feature of messaging apps. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has sent notices to Telegram and Signal, seeking information about this feature.
The government states that this feature could be misused for activities such as identity theft, the creation of fake accounts, or online fraud. Similar concerns were previously raised regarding a new feature on WhatsApp. Companies have been asked to explain the security measures integrated into their username systems to prevent such misuse.
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