Govt cracks down on 700 websites streaming pirated content; interministerial panel set up 

In a decisive move to curb digital piracy and protect India’s growing content ecosystem, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has directed intermediaries and ISPs to block access to nearly 700 websites found hosting pirated material—including films, web series, documentaries, and other premium content. 

To further strengthen enforcement, an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) with representatives from Home Affairs, MeitY, DPIIT, and DoT has been set up to develop coordinated anti-piracy action plans—especially crucial in cases involving foreign-hosted sites and cross-border piracy networks, Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for I&B, told the Rajya Sabha last week. 

It's not immediately clear whether these intermediaries and ISPs have complied with the orders yet or whether the government has stipulated any deadline for them to comply with. 

This crackdown comes amid increasing concerns from content creators, studios, and streaming platforms over the rampant spread of pirated content across the internet and the dark web. From theatrical releases to exclusive OTT originals, high-value IP is being leaked and circulated illegally within hours of release—undermining revenue models and stifling creative investment.

e4m has earlier reported how OTT platforms bleed up to 25 per cent of their revenue to pirates. In 2023, India's entertainment industry faced a loss of Rs 22,400 crore due to piracy, with Rs 13,700 crore from movie theatres and Rs 8,700 crore from OTT platforms, revealed a report by EY and IAMAI. 

The report also revealed that 51% of consumers accessed pirated content, which essentially means half of the revenue going to drains.

Hefty ad revenue 

Online criminals who offer stolen movies, TV shows, games, and live events through websites and apps reap $1.34 billion in annual advertising revenues, including from some of the most iconic global companies, according to a 2021 report from the Digital Citizens Alliance and White Bullet. 

The research found that ads for Amazon, Facebook, and Google accounted for 73 per cent of all major brands advertising that appeared frequently on piracy apps during the year-long investigation. However, there is a recent significant decline in Amazon ads showing up on piracy websites and apps. This suggests that digital advertising funds piracy. 

“The top websites that offer stolen content generate $1.08 billion in global annual ad revenue. For the major players, it’s big business: the investigation found that the top five of these websites made an average of $18.3 million in revenue from advertising. Many of these websites are in a constant state of churn, meaning they are changing domains and redirecting to avoid enforcement and bypass advertising blocklists,” claimed the report. 

Producers shell out crores to safeguard content 

Piracy is a systemic threat to the content industry—not just financially, but in terms of innovation, IP protection, and consumer trust. It constitutes a multi-billion-dollar industry of stolen content that defrauds consumers and exposes them to a wide array of cyber-vulnerabilities. 

Most streaming platforms partner with two or more cyber security agencies to wrap their content under several layers of security. This often costs them Rs 30 lakh to Rs 5 crore, depending upon their content slate. These agencies use proprietary tools and networks to track down pirated content. 

OTT players also spend a lot of energy and resources mitigating damage after content is pirated. Their teams study patterns such as the unusual number of requests that hit their servers. They reach out to people and platforms who host pirated content requesting them to take it down. 

While most of the time, such content is taken down, large mobile communication platforms like Telegram and Popcorn Time which do not fall within Indian jurisdiction remain immune to our requests citing freedom of expression, OTT players allege.