Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issues strict advisory under IT Rules, 2021, following Pahalgam terror attack with Pakistan link.
Mumbai: In a decisive move citing national security, the Government of India on Thursday issued a stern advisory to OTT platforms, media streaming services, and digital intermediaries, directing them to immediately cease hosting or disseminating any content originating from Pakistan.
The advisory, released by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, follows a spate of terror attacks with confirmed links to Pakistan-based state and non-state actors, including the recent April 22 attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
Invoking the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021—specifically Part-III, which lays out the Code of Ethics for OTT platforms—the government emphasized the need for “due caution and discretion” in content that could impact India’s sovereignty, security, or international relations.
Furthermore, Rule 3(1)(b) of Part-II of the IT Rules requires intermediaries to prevent hosting content that threatens India’s sovereignty or public order.
The Ministry underscored that in light of increasing threats, it is imperative to enforce stronger digital safeguards. Accordingly, OTT and streaming platforms are required to take down all content—be it web series, films, songs, podcasts, or other digital media—produced by or linked to Pakistani entities. This applies to both subscription-based and free-to-access platforms.
Signed by Deputy Director Kshitij Aggarwal and cleared by the competent authority, the directive has also been circulated to self-regulatory bodies and industry associations, signaling wide-scale compliance and enforcement.