New Delhi: Amid rising tensions with Pakistan, the government on Thursday advised OTT platforms and social media intermediaries operating in India to discontinue streaming of Pakistan-origin content, including web-series, films and podcasts with immediate effect.
The advisory by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting comes in the wake of strikes by Indian armed forces on terror sites in Pakistan to avenge the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
“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 issued by the ministry said.
The ministry said that several terrorist attacks in India have been established to have cross-border linkages 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, one Nepali citizen, and injuries to a number of others,” the advisory said.
The ministry invoked the Code of Ethics mentioned in Part III of the Information Technology Rules 2021, 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 or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign States, or public order,” the advisory added.
The advisory also came in the wake of claims by Pakistan social media handles about Operation Sindoor, which was dismissed by India as “full-blown disinformation offensive” with “lies” and digital theatrics to control the narrative.
“In the coming days your social media will be flooded with Pakistan sponsored propaganda. It’s crucial to scrutinize every piece of information carefully,” the fact check unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a post on X.
It said several Pakistan-based handles are circulating an old image that claims that a Pakistani missile has hit an Indian S-400 defence system.
“The image being shared is from 2023, of a fire at a military site in Moscow,” the PIB’s Fact Check Unit said.
It also said Pakistan-based handles are circulating a video claiming that the Pakistan Army struck posts in Battal Sector in Jammu & Kashmir, eliminating at least 12 Indian soldiers.
“This video is old and NOT related to any activity post #OperationSindoor,” the PIB Fact Check unit said, adding that the photo used was from August 2011.
