The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has shut down 22 YouTube channels for allegedly propagating false information on India’s national security and foreign policy. 18 Indian YouTube news channels, as well as four Pakistan-based YouTube news channels, have been blocked for the first time under the IT Rules, 2021.
According to a ministry ruling published on Monday, these YouTube channels misled viewers by using TV news channel logos and fake thumbnails.
Three Twitter accounts, one Facebook account, and one news website were also shut down.
“These outlets were involved in disseminating false material that harmed India’s sovereignty, national security, and international relations.” They were disseminating false information about the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. On Tuesday, Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur remarked, “We would not hesitate to take such steps in the future.”
“On April 4, 2022, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued orders for the blocking of twenty-two (22) YouTube-based news channels, three (3) Twitter accounts, one (1) Facebook account, and one (1) news website, exercising emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021.” The restricted YouTube channels “were used to promote false news and coordinated misinformation across social media on matters sensitive from the standpoint of national security, India’s foreign relations, and public order,” the ministry said in a statement.
ARP News has 4.4 crore subscribers, followed by AOP News with 74 lakh subscribers, and LDC News with 4.7 lakh subscribers, among the restricted channels in India.
‘Duniya Mery Aagy’ had 4.2 lakh subscribers and over 11.2 crore views, ‘Ghulam Nabi Madni’ had over 37.09 lakh views, and ‘HAQEEQAT TV’ had over 40 lakh followers, according to the prohibited Pakistani YouTube channels.
The government has blocked all Pakistan-based Twitter accounts associated with the same YouTube channels that have been blocked, including ‘Ghulam Nabi Madni’, which has 5,553 followers, ‘Dunya Mery Aagy,’ which has 4,063 followers (the channel’s Facebook page has also been banned), and ‘Haqeeqat TV,’ which has 3,23,800 followers.
Multiple YouTube channels, according to the government, were used to spread fake news about a variety of topics, including the Indian armed forces and Jammu and Kashmir. Certain “anti-India” information uploaded from various social media accounts run in a coordinated way from Pakistan was ordered to be banned, according to the report.
According to screen shots given by the ministry, the stations broadcasted bogus headlines about India’s involvement in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, fake announcements about a national shutdown in India, and fake headlines about foreign assaults on India.
“A substantial volume of fraudulent information was seen by these Indian YouTube-based channels relating to the present crisis in Ukraine, and aimed at harming India’s international ties with other nations,” the ministry added.
On national security concerns, the I&B Ministry has issued orders to restrict 78 YouTube-based news stations and many other social media accounts from December 2021.
“The prohibited Indian YouTube channels used themes and logos from some TV news programmes, as well as photographs of their news anchors, to deceive viewers into believing that the content was genuine.” To promote the virality of content on social media, false thumbnails were utilised, and the title and thumbnail of the videos were regularly changed. The ministry further warned that “in certain cases, systematic anti-India false news was flowing from Pakistan.”
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