18 Indian, 4 Pak YouTube Channels Blocked For Spreading Disinformation Related To India's National Security, Foreign Relations

The government has blocked 18 Indian and 4 Pakistani YouTube channels along with several other social media accounts for spreading disinformation related to India's national security, foreign relations and public order.

The blocked YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 260 crore, and were used to spread fake news, and coordinated disinformation over social media on subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security, India’s foreign relations, and public order, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in a statement on Tuesday (5 April).

"The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, utilising the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021, has issued orders on 4 April for blocking of twenty-two YouTube based news channels, three Twitter accounts, one Facebook account, and one news website," the statement said.

This is the first time action has been taken on the Indian YouTube based news publishers since the notification of the IT Rules, 2021 in February last year.

According to the ministry, multiple YouTube channels were used to post fake news on various subjects such as the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir, etc.

It was observed that a significant amount of false content published by the these Indian YouTube based channels related to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, and aimed at jeopardising India’s foreign relations with other countries, it added.

The ministry said that the blocked Indian YouTube channels were using templates and logos of certain TV news channels, including images of their news anchors to mislead the viewers to believe that the news was authentic.

False thumbnails were used, and title and thumbnail of the videos were frequently altered to increase the virality of content on social media, it said.

In certain cases, it was also observed that systematic anti-India fake news was originating from Pakistan, the ministry said.

With this action, since December 2021, the Ministry has issued directions for blocking of 78 YouTube based news channels and several other social media accounts on grounds related to national security, sovereignty and integrity of India, public order etc, it added.