For the first time, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued orders for blocking 18 Indian Youtube-based news channels, since the notification of the IT Rules, 2021 in February last year.
In a statement, the I&B Ministry said, “It was observed that a significant amount of false content published by these Indian YouTube-based channels related to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, and aimed at jeopardising India’s foreign relations with other countries.”
The Ministry also issued orders for blocking four other Pakistan-based Youtube channels, three Twitter accounts, one Facebook account, and one news website.
The Ministry said 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 statement further read, “Multiple YouTube channels were used to post fake news on various subjects such as the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir, etc. The content ordered to be blocked also included certain anti-India content posted from multiple social media accounts operated in a coordinated manner from Pakistan.”
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 the title and thumbnail of the videos were frequently altered to increase the virality of content on social media. In certain cases, it was also observed that systematic anti-India fake news was originating from Pakistan.
With this action, since December 2021, the Ministry has issued directions for blocking 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.
Details of social media accounts and website blocked YouTube channels
Sl. No |
YouTube Channel Name |
Media Statistics |
|
Indian YouTube channels |
|||
1. |
ARP News |
Subscribers: Total Views: 4,40,68,652 |
|
2. |
AOP News |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 74,04,673 |
|
3. |
LDC News |
Subscribers: 4,72,000 Total Views:6,46,96,730 |
|
4. |
SarkariBabu |
Subscribers: 2,44,000 Total Views: 4,40,14,435 |
|
5. |
SS ZONE Hindi |
Subscribers: N.A Total Views:5,28,17,274 |
|
6. |
Smart News |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 13,07,34,161 |
|
7. |
News23Hindi |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 18,72,35,234 |
|
8. |
Online Khabar |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 4,16,00,442 |
|
9. |
DP news |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 11,99,224 |
|
10. |
PKB News |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 2,97,71,721 |
|
11. |
KisanTak |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 36,54,327 |
|
12. |
Borana News |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 2,46,53,931 |
|
13. |
Sarkari News Update |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 2,05,05,161 |
|
14. |
Bharat Mausam |
Subscribers: 2,95,000 Total Views: 7,04,14,480 |
|
15. |
RJ ZONE 6 |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 12,44,07,625 |
|
16. |
Exam Report |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 3,43,72,553 |
|
17. |
Digi Gurukul |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 10,95,22,595 |
|
18. |
दिनभरकीखबरें |
Subscribers: NA Total Views: 23,69,305 |
|
Pakistan based YouTube channels |
|||
19. |
DuniyaMeryAagy |
Subscribers: 4,28,000 Total Views: 11,29,96,047 |
|
20. |
Ghulam NabiMadni |
Total Views: 37,90,109 |
|
21. |
HAQEEQAT TV |
Subscribers: 40,90,000 Total Views: 1,46,84,10,797 |
|
22. |
HAQEEQAT TV 2.0 |
Subscribers: 3,03,000 Total Views: 37,542,059 |
|
Website
Sl .No |
Website |
|
Dunya Mere Aagy |
Twitter accounts (All Pakistan based)
Sl .No |
Twitter Account |
No. of followers |
|
Ghulam NabiMadni |
5,553 |
|
DunyaMeryAagy |
4,063 |
|
Haqeeqat TV |
323,800 |
Facebook account
Sl .No |
Facebook Account |
No. of followers |
|
DunyaMeryAagy |
2,416 |