The Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting on Monday, announced blocking 16 YouTube channels, of which six were operating from Pakistan.
Besides, the government blocked Facebook account for disseminating wrong information about India’s national security, foreign relations, and public order.
. @MIB_India blocks 16 YouTube news channels (under IT Rules, 2021) for spreading disinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations and public order
These channels were spreading false and unverified information.@ianuragthakur @DDNewslive pic.twitter.com/e6TcVNwRSM
— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) April 25, 2022
The YouTube channels and the Facebook account had a total audience of around 68 crore people. These channels were spreading “false, unverified information to create panic, incite communal disharmony and disturb public order in India”, the communique issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said.
“None of the digital news publishers had furnished information to the ministry as required under Rule 18 of the IT Rules, 2021,” it added.
According to the government, several blocked India-based YouTube channels uploaded content that called members of a particular religion terrorist and incited animosity among diverse religious communities.
“Such content was found to have the potential to create communal disharmony and disturb public order,” it said.
The ministry said several YouTubers of the blocked channels were putting on air unverified news and videos that could trigger panic among various sections of society.
“Examples include false claims related to the announcement of a pan-India lockdown due to COVID-19, thereby threatening the migrant workers, and fabricated claims alleging threats to certain religious communities, etc. Such content was observed to be detrimental to public order in the country,” it said.
The release by the government said the blocked Pakistan-based YouTube channels were using the platform in a coordinated manner to post fake news about India on several grounds including, the Army, Jammu, and Kashmir, and foreign relations, given the ongoing global tension.
“The content of these channels was observed to be completely false and sensitive from the perspective of national security, sovereignty and integrity of India and India’s friendly relations with foreign states,” the ministry said.
List Of Blocked Youtube Channel From India:
1 Saini Education Research
2 Hindi Mein Dekho
3 Technical Yogendra
4 Aaj te news
5 SBB News
6 Defence News24x7
7 The study time
8 Latest Update
9 MRF TV LIVE
10 Tahaffuz-E-Deen India
List Of Blocked Youtube Channel From Pakistan:
1 AjTak Pakistan
2 Discover Point
3 Reality Checks
4 Kaiser Khan
5 The Voice of Asia
6 Bol Media Bol