India-Pak conflict: Govt orders OTT platforms to immediately stop streaming Pakistani content

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) on Thursday asked all over-the-top (OTT) platforms, media streaming platforms, and intermediaries operating in India to immediately discontinue web series, films, songs, podcasts, and other streaming media content originating from Pakistan. "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 I&B ministry said in its latest advisory.

The ministry stated that several terrorist attacks in India have been established to have cross-border linkages with Pakistan-based state and non-state actors, and that the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 led to the killing of several Indians, one Nepali citizen, and injuries to several others.

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, particularly Part II, lay down a clear Code of Ethics for publishers of online curated content, such as OTT platforms. These guidelines mandate that publishers exercise due caution and discretion when featuring content that may impact the sovereignty, integrity, security, or public order of India. The Code emphasises the need to avoid content that could threaten national security, incite violence, harm India's relations with foreign states, or disturb public order.

Additionally, Rule 3(1)(b) of Part II of the IT Rules, 2021, obliges intermediaries to make reasonable efforts, both independently and through their users, to refrain from hosting or sharing content that could compromise national unity or security.

This development follows India's recent ban of 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, and Geo News, for disseminating misinformation against India following the Pahalgam terror attack. These banned channels had over 63 million subscribers and were found to be engaged in spreading provocative and communally sensitive content, as well as false and misleading narratives against India, its Army, and security agencies.

Indian security forces conducted high-precision air strikes under Operation Sindoor across nine different Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir on Wednesday. The government stated that these were the specific locations where attacks against India were planned and directed. The security forces have described their actions as focussed, measured, and non-escalatory in nature.

Despite India's measured, focussed, and responsible approach, which did not target Pakistani military establishments, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in northern and western India on Wednesday night. "These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations, which proves the Pakistani attacks," the government has said.

In response, the Indian Armed Forces targeted air defence radars and systems at several locations in Pakistan. "The Indian response has been in the same domain with the same intensity as Pakistan. It has been reliably learned that an Air Defence System at Lahore has been neutralised."