The government has banned eight YouTube channels with a total viewership of more than 114 crore for spreading disinformation. Seven of the total channels are from India, and one is from Pakistan. ‘ Fake, anti-India content was being monetised by the blocked channels,’ the ministry of information and broadcasting said in a statement.
According to the government, the channels were spreading misinformation about India’s national security, foreign relations, and public order. ‘ The content was found to be completely false and sensitive from the standpoint of national security and India’s friendly relations with foreign states,’ according to the statement.
Loktantra TV, U&V TV, AM Razvi, Gouravshali Pawan Mithilanchal, SeeTop5TH, Sarkari Update, and Sab Kuch Dekho are the seven banned Indian channels. The blocked channel is News ki Dunya, which is based in Pakistan. The channels had around 85 lakh subscribers. In addition to these, one Facebook account and two Facebook posts have been blocked.
The channels, based in India, ‘were observed to be using fake and sensational thumbnails, images of news anchors, and logos of certain TV news channels’ to mislead users and make their content appear ‘authentic,’ according to the ministry. ‘All of the YouTube channels blocked by the Ministry were displaying advertisements on their videos that contained false content that was harmful to communal harmony, public order, and India’s foreign relations,’ the government added.
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