India directs Telegram to curb piracy, 15‑day compliance deadline

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a directive to Telegram, ordering the platform to take immediate action against the distribution of pirated films and OTT content on its service and to submit an Action Taken Report within 15 days. The notice follows a temporary suspension of Telegram in India during the NEET‑UG 2026 re‑examination, which was imposed over concerns that the app was being used by cheating rackets. The ban, enforced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, was lifted after the Delhi High Court upheld the government's emergency powers and found the restrictions proportionate.

In parallel, the government has also sent notices to Meta over WhatsApp’s proposed username feature and to Signal, asking for explanations and safeguards against impersonation, fraud and phishing. Telegram has not yet publicly responded to the latest directive.