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What is the story about?
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued a notice to Telegram over the alleged circulation of pirated films, web series and other copyrighted content on the messaging platform.
The ministry has directed Telegram to remove the allegedly infringing content, take immediate action against the channels involved, and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days.
According to the ministry, the action is aimed at protecting India's creator economy and safeguarding the interests of filmmakers, OTT platforms, broadcasters, producers and distributors from online piracy.
The notice follows complaints from OTT platforms and content owners alleging that copyrighted films, web series and other content were being shared on Telegram without authorisation. After examining the complaints, the ministry said it identified 3,142 Telegram channels allegedly distributing pirated movies, web series and other copyrighted content.
The notice has been issued under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The ministry said that under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, online intermediaries are required to remove unlawful content after receiving a valid government notice or court order.
Earlier, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) sent notices to Telegram and Signal seeking details about their username feature, including how it works and the safeguards in place to prevent impersonation, identity theft and misuse. The Centre raised similar concerns with WhatsApp over its planned username feature in India. According to Meta, usernames are optional identifiers beginning with the '@' symbol that allow users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers.
The government has expressed concern that the feature could make it easier for cybercriminals to carry out online fraud, phishing scams, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks. It has also warned that usernames resembling those of individuals, government agencies or financial institutions could be misused to deceive users.
Also Read: India summons Meta execs to explain Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse: Reports
The ministry has directed Telegram to remove the allegedly infringing content, take immediate action against the channels involved, and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days.
According to the ministry, the action is aimed at protecting India's creator economy and safeguarding the interests of filmmakers, OTT platforms, broadcasters, producers and distributors from online piracy.
The notice follows complaints from OTT platforms and content owners alleging that copyrighted films, web series and other content were being shared on Telegram without authorisation. After examining the complaints, the ministry said it identified 3,142 Telegram channels allegedly distributing pirated movies, web series and other copyrighted content.
The notice has been issued under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The ministry said that under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, online intermediaries are required to remove unlawful content after receiving a valid government notice or court order.
Earlier, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) sent notices to Telegram and Signal seeking details about their username feature, including how it works and the safeguards in place to prevent impersonation, identity theft and misuse. The Centre raised similar concerns with WhatsApp over its planned username feature in India. According to Meta, usernames are optional identifiers beginning with the '@' symbol that allow users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers.
The government has expressed concern that the feature could make it easier for cybercriminals to carry out online fraud, phishing scams, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks. It has also warned that usernames resembling those of individuals, government agencies or financial institutions could be misused to deceive users.
Also Read: India summons Meta execs to explain Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse: Reports
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