The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), Government of India, has issued a fresh advisory directing OTT platforms, streaming media services, and intermediaries operating in India to discontinue all web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content “having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect.”
Referring to Part-III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the advisory reminded all platforms that the “Code of Ethics for publishers of online curated content (OTT platforms)” requires content providers to exercise “due caution and discretion” when publishing any material that may fall under categories of concern to national security.
According to the advisory, these categories include: “Content which affects the sovereignty and integrity of India; content which threatens, endangers or jeopardises the security of the State; content which is detrimental to India’s friendly relations with foreign countries; and content which is likely to incite violence or disturb the maintenance of public order.”
The ministry also cited Rule 3(1)(b) of Part-II of the IT Rules, 2021, which mandates intermediaries to “make reasonable efforts by itself, and to cause the users of its computer resource to not host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information that inter-alia threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign States, or public order.”
Highlighting the security threat posed by cross-border terrorism, the advisory stated that “several terrorist attacks in India have been established to have cross-border linkages with Pakistan-based State and non-State actors.” As a recent example, the ministry referred to the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam which “led to the killing of several Indians, one Nepali citizen, and injuries to a number of others.”
“In the interest of national security,” the advisory concluded, “all OTT platforms, media streaming platforms and intermediaries operating in India are advised to discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content, whether made available on a subscription-based model or otherwise, having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect.”