Centre blocks 4,996 Telegram channels, 1,263 websites in anti-piracy crackdown

India's central government has intensified its fight against online film piracy by ordering the disabling of thousands of URLs. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced in the Lok Sabha that 7,393 URLs, encompassing 1,263 websites and 4,996 Telegram channels, have been targeted for facilitating film piracy.

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The central government has strengthened the legal and institutional framework to deal with online piracy of films, including the unauthorised dissemination of films through intermediaries such as Telegram.

This action is part of a broader effort to bolster the legal and institutional framework against the unauthorized dissemination of films. The ministry highlighted that intermediaries have been directed to take down infringing content in accordance with various legal provisions governing takedown orders.

The Cinematograph Act, 1952, was recently amended through the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023. This amendment introduced specific measures to curb the unauthorized recording and exhibition of films. The newly added Section 7(1B)(ii) grants the government the authority, under Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to act against intermediaries that host pirated material.

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7,393 URLs have been disabled as part of the action.

Under the Information Technology Rules, 2021, intermediaries are obligated to remove any content violating existing laws once they become aware of it, whether through a court order or a notice from an authorized government agency. The ministry has established a mechanism to receive piracy complaints and issue takedown notices, with a joint secretary authorized to oversee these actions.

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The intermediaries have been directed to disable 7,393 URLs, including 1,263 websites and 4,996 Telegram channels, for film piracy, in accordance with various provisions of law governing takedown orders.