Govt: OTT, Social Media Must Remove Pakistan Content for National Security

On May 8, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory directing social media platforms, OTT services, and streaming providers to cease immediately hosting Pakistan-origin content due to heightened India-Pakistan tensions.

The directive covers web series, films, songs, podcasts, and other streaming media, whether subscription-based or freely available, citing national security concerns.

The advisory highlighted Pakistan’s links to terrorist activities in India, specifically referencing the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which killed several Indian and Nepali citizens and injured others.

In the interest of national security, 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… pic.twitter.com/8yjP6ULNEU

— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2025

“In the interest of national security, 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,” the advisory said.

The ministry also pointed out that several terrorist attacks in India have been linked with Pakistan-based State and non-state actors. “Recently, on 22.04.2025, the terrorist attack in Pahalgam led to the killing of several Indians and Nepali citizens, and injuries to a number of others,” the advisory said.

The MIB invoked Part III of the Information Technology Rules 2021, which lists the Code of Ethics that publishers must adhere to.

The advisory is based on the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which lay down a Code of Ethics for digital content publishers. The rules require publishers to consider potential implications before transmitting or exhibiting content. Specifically, the advisory highlights four types of content that require caution:

1. Content that affects the sovereignty and integrity of India.
2. Content that threatens, endangers, or jeopardises the security of the state.
3. Content that is detrimental to India’s friendly relations with foreign countries.
4. Content likely to incite violence or disturb public order.”Further, rule 3(1)(b) of Part-II of the IT Rules, 2021 provides that intermediaries shall 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 0r sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign States, or public order,” the advisory added.