The ministry of knowledge and broadcasting on Tuesday ordered the blocking of 20 YouTube channels on social media and a pair of web sites spreading “anti-India propaganda” and pretend information on the web.
The Centre issued two separate orders – one for 20 YouTube channels directing YouTube, and the opposite for two information web sites, requesting the telecom division to direct the web service suppliers for blocking the information channels/portals.
“The channels and web sites belong to a coordinated disinformation community working from Pakistan and spreading faux information about numerous delicate topics associated to India,” the Data and Broadcasting Ministry mentioned in a press release.
“These channels had been used to put up divisive content material in a coordinated method on matters like Kashmir, Indian Military, minority communities in India, Ram Mandir, Common Bipin Rawat, and many others,” it added. The YouTube channels had a mixed subscriber base of over 35 lakhs. Their movies had additionally over 55 crore views.
“The modus operandi of the anti-India disinformation marketing campaign concerned The Naya Pakistan Group (NPG), working from Pakistan, having a community of YouTube channels, and another standalone YouTube channels not associated to NPG,” the Centre mentioned.
The ministry additional famous that these YouTube channels had additionally posted content material on points such because the farmers’ protest, protests associated to the Citizenship (Modification) Act, and “tried to incite the minorities in opposition to the federal government.“
“It was additionally feared that these YouTube channels could be used to put up content material to undermine the democratic strategy of the upcoming elections in 5 states,” the ministry mentioned.
In February this yr, Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad had introduced drastic modifications within the new authorized guidelines for social media corporations and a code of ethics for OTT (excessive) streaming platforms in addition to digital information media.
A YouTube channel named ‘Naya Pakistan World’ had 7 lakh subscribers and over 9 crore views. It was spreading misinformation concerning the Babri Masjid controversy. It was additionally spreading misinformation about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and late Chief of Defence Employees Bipin Rawat, as per the federal government.
One other channel, titled ‘Punjab Viral,’ has been taken down over plenty of contentious movies, together with two titled ‘The Khalistan Motion grew to become a nightmare for Modi’ and ‘The Sikhs Hoist Flag over Indian Parliament.’ The channel had over 14 lakh views.
Different YouTube channels which were blocked embody The Punch Line, Worldwide Internet Information, Khalsa TV, The Bare Reality, 48 Information, Fictional, Historic Details, Cowl Story, Go World, eCommerce, Junaid Haleem Official, Tayyab Hanif, Zain Ali Official, Mohsin Rajput, Official, Kaneez Fatima, Sadaf Durrani, Mian Imran, Ahmad, Najam Ul Hassan, Bajwa, and News24.