How 8 banned YouTube channels were pushing 'anti-India content', govt explains

Citing fake content, the Centre on Thursday blocked 8 YouTube channels including a Pakistani streaming platform, besides a Facebook account and two Facebook posts.

With a subscription base of over 85 lakh users, the seven India blocked channels are Loktantra TV, U&V TV, AM Razvi, Gourabshali Pawan Mithilanchal, Sarkari Update, and Sa Kuch Dekho.

While blocked Pakistan channel 'News ki Dunya'has a subscriber base of 97,000.

These channels were propagating fake anti-India content, and had over 114 crore views, Ministry of Information & Broadcast said in a statement.

Blocked under Information Technology Rules-2021, these YouTube channels made false claims such as demolition of religious structures by the Government of India, ban on celebration of religious festivals, declaration of religious war in India, an I&B official said

It added that such content would disturb communal harmony and can lead to public disorder.

The ministry said the YouTube channels were also used to post fake news on various subjects such as the Indian Armed Forces and Jammu and Kashmir.

"The content was observed to be completely false and sensitive from the perspective of national security and India's friendly relations with foreign States," the statement further read.

According to an Indian Express report, I&B Ministry since Dcember 2021 has issued directions for blocking 102 YouTube-based channled and several other social media handles.