Govt asks OTT, streaming, social media platforms to pull down Pakistan-origin content citing national security

The ministry pointed out that several terrorist attacks in India have been linked with Pakistan-based State and non-State actors.

In light of the ongoing geopolitical tension between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in an advisory on May 8 urged social media intermediaries, OTT and streaming platforms to discontinue any forms of content that originate from Pakistan.

The forms of content include web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming content, available on a subscription model or otherwise.

"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 on Nepali citizen, and injuries to a number of others," the advisory said.

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

"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.