New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ordered blocking 20 YouTube channels and two websites for spreading anti-India propaganda and fake news.
The I&B Ministry said the decision to block the YouTube channels and websites were taken in close coordination with the intelligence agencies, in a statement.
The blocked youTube channels and news websites belonged to a coordinated disinformation network operating from Pakistan and spreading fake news about various sensitive subjects related to India. The channels were used to post divisive content in a coordinated manner on topics like Kashmir, Indian Army, minority communities in India, Ram Mandir, General Bipin Rawat, etc, the statement said.
The Ministry said that most of the content posted by the channels pertains to “subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security and are factually incorrect.”
The anti-India disinformation campaign involved the Naya Pakistan Group (NPG), operating from Pakistan, having a network of youTube channels, and some other standalone youTube channels not related to NPG, have a combined subscriber base of 37,52,898 and total views of 58,68,07,175, it added.
The youTube channels 48 news, and the Naked Truth were also involved in the disinformation campaign.
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The ministry said that some of the youTube channels of the Naya Pakistan Group were being operated by “anchors of Pakistani news channels”.
These youTube channels had also posted content on issues such as the farmers’ protest, protests related to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and tried to incite the minorities against the Government of India.
It was also feared that these YouTube channels would be used to post content to undermine the democratic process of the upcoming elections in five states.
The Ministry has acted to secure the information space in India, and utilized emergency powers under the Rule 16 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, it said.
It observed that most of the content pertains to subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security and are factually incorrect, and are being mainly posted from Pakistan as a coordinated disinformation network (as in the case of Naya Pakistan Group) against India and thus deemed it fit for action under the provisions to block content in case of emergency.
Two separate orders were passed in this connection one to the youTube to block the list of channels and to the Department of Telecom to block the websites which are part of the disinformation network.
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