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I&B ministry asks Telegram to remove, disable access to 3,142 URL links

March 11, 2026 6 min read Polity & Governance Science & Technology GS Paper 2 (Governance Technology Policy) GS Paper 3 (Cyber Security IPR)
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What Happened

  • On March 11, 2026, India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B Ministry) issued a formal notice to the messaging platform Telegram, directing it to remove and disable access to 3,142 channels distributing pirated content.
  • The action was taken under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which requires intermediaries to remove unlawful content upon receiving government notice.
  • In a parallel action, access to approximately 800 websites was blocked for internet service providers.
  • The pirated material — covering approximately 1,166 titles including films, web series, TV shows, and reality programmes — was brought to the government's attention by OTT platforms including JioCinema and Amazon Prime Video.
  • The action was taken under the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023, which introduced specific anti-piracy provisions, along with the IT Act.

Static Topic Bridges

Section 69A and Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000: Government Powers over Online Content

The Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended significantly in 2008) provides the legal framework for content regulation on the internet in India. Two key provisions govern government action against platforms:

  • Section 69A (IT Act): Empowers the Central Government to direct intermediaries to block public access to content "in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, or for preventing incitement to any cognisable offence." Blocking orders under 69A are confidential.
  • Section 79 (Safe Harbour): Grants intermediaries immunity from liability for third-party content, provided they do not initiate, select recipients, or modify the content. This is India's equivalent of Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act.
  • Section 79(3)(b): Removes the safe harbour protection if an intermediary fails to remove unlawful content upon receiving actual knowledge — typically through a government notice or court order. This is the provision used in the Telegram action.
  • The IT (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009 govern Section 69A orders; they require a Review Committee to periodically assess blocking orders.
  • The IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 ("IT Rules 2021") mandate that "significant social media intermediaries" (with 5 million+ users in India) appoint a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Nodal Contact Person, and Grievance Officer.

Connection to this news: The I&B Ministry used Section 79(3)(b) rather than Section 69A to target Telegram — likely because piracy is a civil/criminal IPR violation rather than a national security concern. This distinction matters: 79(3)(b) notices are publicly known, unlike the confidential 69A orders.

Copyright protection for cinematographic works in India is governed by the Copyright Act, 1957 (amended multiple times, most recently in 2012). Copyright in a film vests with the producer and lasts for 60 years from the year of publication. The Cinematograph Act, 1952 governs film certification; its 2023 amendment added anti-piracy provisions.

  • Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023: Introduced Section 6AA, which criminalises the recording of films in theatres and their distribution without the producer's consent. Penalties: imprisonment up to 3 years and/or fine up to ₹10 lakh (for first offence).
  • Copyright Act, 1957, Section 51: Defines copyright infringement — includes making or permitting use of infringing copies.
  • Copyright Act, Section 65A: Prohibits circumvention of technological protection measures (DRM — Digital Rights Management) — relevant for streaming platform content protection.
  • India is a signatory to the Berne Convention (1886, revised multiple times) on copyright protection — the foundational international copyright treaty — and the TRIPS Agreement under WTO, which requires member states to provide effective protection against copyright infringement.
  • India is NOT yet a party to the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT, 1996) and WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT, 1996), which update copyright law for the digital environment.

Connection to this news: The Telegram piracy crackdown enforces rights under the Copyright Act and the new Cinematograph Amendment Act — a convergence of traditional IP law and digital platform regulation.

Intermediary Liability and Platform Regulation in India

The regulatory status of platforms like Telegram — as "intermediaries" — is central to digital governance debates globally. The core question: when does a platform's passivity toward harmful content become complicity, and what obligations should platforms bear?

  • Under IT Rules 2021, a "significant social media intermediary" (SSMI) must: publish privacy policy and terms of service in local languages, appoint Indian resident grievance officers, act on takedown requests within 36 hours for emergency matters, remove non-consensual intimate imagery within 24 hours, and provide a monthly compliance report.
  • Telegram's legal status in India has been contentious: it argued it was a "messaging platform" not a social media intermediary; Indian courts have held that its scale makes it an intermediary subject to IT Act obligations.
  • The Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015) struck down Section 66A of the IT Act (criminalising online speech that caused annoyance/inconvenience) as unconstitutional, while upholding Section 69A as a valid restriction on free speech provided due process is followed.
  • The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA, 2024) and Digital Markets Act (DMA, 2024) are globally influential frameworks for platform regulation; India's IT Rules 2021 are partly inspired by similar principles.
  • Telegram's founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France in August 2024 on charges related to failure to moderate illegal content — signalling a global shift toward holding platform operators personally accountable.

Connection to this news: The I&B Ministry's notice to Telegram is the Indian state asserting that platform neutrality has limits — an intermediary that knowingly hosts piracy channels and fails to act loses its safe harbour protection under Section 79.

Digital Media Regulation and Freedom of Expression

The regulation of online content sits at the intersection of fundamental rights — Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression) and Article 19(2) (reasonable restrictions). The state's power to restrict online content must pass the test of being a "reasonable restriction" on permissible grounds under Article 19(2).

  • Article 19(2) permits restrictions on free speech on grounds of: sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to an offence.
  • Copyright protection is not explicitly listed in Article 19(2) — anti-piracy actions derive their constitutional legitimacy from the wider property rights framework (Article 300A) and the state's obligation to protect IP under TRIPS.
  • Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015): While striking down Section 66A, the SC held that "online speech" is speech under Article 19 — content restrictions must satisfy proportionality and due process.
  • The Intermediary Guidelines Rules 2021 were challenged in multiple High Courts; the Bombay HC partially stayed certain provisions; the Supreme Court consolidated challenges for hearing.

Connection to this news: The Telegram piracy action is on stronger legal ground than, say, political speech blocking — copyright protection enjoys international treaty backing and a clearer statutory basis, making it less susceptible to Article 19 challenges.

Key Facts & Data

  • Platforms targeted: Telegram (3,142 channels); ~800 websites blocked via ISPs
  • Legal basis: IT Act Section 79(3)(b); Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023
  • Complaints received from: JioCinema, Amazon Prime Video; covering ~1,166 titles
  • IT Act, 2000 (amended 2008): Key digital governance statute
  • Section 69A: Government power to block content (national security/public order grounds) — orders are confidential
  • Section 79: Safe harbour for intermediaries; 79(3)(b) removes it upon actual knowledge of unlawful content
  • Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015): SC upheld Section 69A; struck down Section 66A
  • IT Rules 2021: Significant Social Media Intermediary (SSMI) threshold — 5 million registered users in India
  • Cinematograph (Amendment) Act 2023: Anti-camcording provision; up to 3 years imprisonment + ₹10 lakh fine
  • Copyright Act 1957: 60-year copyright term for films
  • India: Party to Berne Convention and TRIPS; not party to WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT, 1996)
  • Telegram's Pavel Durov: Arrested in France (August 2024) on platform moderation charges