Telegram Directed to Remove 3,142 Channels Over Pirated OTT Content in India

The Union government has directed messaging platform Telegram to remove 3,142 channels accused of circulating pirated digital content.  

The instruction was issued on 11 March, asking the platform to disable access to the channels and their material within 3 hours of receiving the communication. 

Government Flags Copyright Act Violations 

As per the reports, the channels were found sharing copyrighted content without authorisation. The material was identified as being in violation of provisions under the Copyright Act, 1957. 

A notification issued by Joint Secretary C. Senthil Rajan stated that the content had been “hosted, shared and distributed” through the intermediary platform. Telegram was asked to remove the channels while ensuring that evidence linked to the content remains preserved. 

Complaints Raised by Streaming Platforms 

The directive followed complaints submitted by several OTT platforms and content owners regarding piracy on the messaging application. Among the platforms that raised concerns were JioCinema, Amazon Prime Video, and other digital streaming services. 

Reports suggest that an examination of the flagged channels showed a large number of links leading to pirated content. In several cases, channels were found hosting more than 2,000 unauthorised links. In addition, over 150 channels were reported to contain more than 500 such links each. 

The material circulated through these channels included films, web series, animated programmes, television serials, reality shows, podcasts and audio stories originally released by streaming platforms and production houses. 

Direction to Remove Channels Within 3 Hours 

Accordng to the reports, Telegram was instructed to remove the channels and disable access to all related content within 3 hours of receiving the notice. The order was issued as part of enforcement steps taken by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to address online piracy. 

Telegram said it complies with laws applicable in India. A spokesperson for the company stated that the platform accepts copyright complaints from rights holders and removes pirated content following established industry procedures. 

Rules Governing Online Intermediaries 

Messaging platforms and other online intermediaries operate under the Information Technology Act, 2000, which offers protection from liability for third-party content hosted on their services. 

However, the protection does not apply if intermediaries fail to remove unlawful material after receiving notification from a government authority or a court. 

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 outline due diligence requirements for such platforms. Amendments notified in October 2025 introduced additional safeguards related to the removal of unlawful online content. 

Read More: CRED Receives RBI Authorisation to Operate as Payment Aggregator! 

Conclusion 

The direction to remove more than 3,100 Telegram channels follows complaints from streaming platforms about the circulation of copyrighted material online. The action is being carried out under existing copyright and information technology laws governing digital intermediaries in India. 

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