BackI&B ministry blocks YouTube news channels based in Pakistan
The YouTube accounts blocked by the ministry had a total subscriber base of over 1 crore 20 lakh, and their videos had over 130 crore views.
PremiumNew Delhi: The ministry of information and broadcasting has blocked 35 news channels on YouTube operating from Pakistan and two websites which were spreading misinformation about India, top ministry officials told reporters on Friday.
The YouTube accounts blocked by the ministry had a total subscriber base of over 12 million, and their videos have been viewed 1.3 billion times.
Additionally, two Twitter handles, two Instagram accounts and a Facebook page have also been blocked for spreading coordinated anti-India misinformation over the Internet, the officials said. The ministry has issued five separate orders under rule 16 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and used its emergency powers to order blocking these Pakistan-based social media accounts and websites.
The 35 accounts blocked include the Apni Duniya Network that operated 14 YouTube channels, and Talha Films Network operating 13 YouTube channels. A set of four channels, and a set of another two, were also found to be running in synchronization with each other, the ministry said.
“All these networks appeared to be operated with a single goal of spreading fake news oriented towards the Indian audience. The channels which were part of a network used common hashtags and editing styles, were being operated by common persons, and cross promoted each other’s content. Some of the YouTube channels were being operated by anchors of Pakistani TV news channels," the statement said.
Indian intelligence agencies had been monitoring these social media accounts and websites, and flagged them to the ministry for immediate action, Apurva Chandra, secretary, information and broadcasting ministry said.
The government blocked 20 YouTube channels and two websites last month when emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021 were first utilized to act against anti-India fake news networks. Calling the content “toxic and baseless", Chandra said this was a war of misinformation against the country. “The point is now our intelligence agencies are alive to this issue. Now that the process has started, more such channels will get blocked," he said at the press briefing.
He said not just intelligence agencies but even citizens can bring such fake news content to light for the ministry to take action. He added that intermediaries like YouTube have been receptive to complaints, blocking such channels globally. However, he said the intermediaries should strengthen their own systems to flag and block misleading content themselves.
Chandra said only news channels come under the purview of MIB, while individual Twitter or Facebook accounts spreading misinformation are dealt with by the ministry of electronics and information technology.
He said these channels were being used by Pakistan to spread misinformation about sensitive subjects related to India, including the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir, and India’s relations with other countries.
“It was observed that fake news was spread through the YouTube channels regarding the demise of former Chief of Defence Staff, Late General Bipin Rawat. These YouTube channels had also started posting content to undermine the democratic process of the upcoming elections in five states," the statement said. The exercise of emergency powers by the ministry requires ratification by an inter-ministerial committee, which is expected to meet early next week.
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