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Centre bans Pakistani content on OTTs in ‘national interest’

It cites the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules of 2021, which provides for a “code of ethics” for OTT platforms.

Centre bans Pakistani content on OTTs in ‘national interest’

The Centre on Thursday advised all over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms to stop showing content originating from Pakistan with “immediate effect”.

“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,” an advisory issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to OTT platforms, media streaming platforms and intermediaries, said.

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It cites the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules of 2021, which provides for a “code of ethics” for OTT platforms.

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The action has been taken in the “interest of national security”, the advisory said.

“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,” it explained the rationale behind the move.

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