India has banned 22 YouTube “news” channels for disseminating false material on national security and public order issues. According to New Delhi, the prohibited YouTube channels had a total of 2.6 billion viewers.
The channels, four of which originated in Pakistan and the others in India, we’re attempting to imitate respectable news outlets’ templates and logos, according to the authorities. It stated that the films employed deceptive thumbnails and titles to generate views and spread misinformation about a variety of topics, including the Indian armed forces and the ongoing “crisis” in Ukraine.
According to the ministry, the discovered IT Rules, 2021, were used to invoke emergency powers. The government used this ability for the first time late last year when it stopped 20 channels. Since December, the government has disabled 78 YouTube channels and certain Facebook and Twitter accounts, according to the authorities.
In a statement, the ministry said that “several YouTube channels were used to disseminate fake news on various issues such as the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir, and so on.”
“Some anti-India propaganda posted from various social media accounts run in a coordinated manner from Pakistan was also ordered to be banned.” It was discovered that these Indian YouTube channels released a substantial amount of fake content relating to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, with the intent of jeopardizing India’s foreign relations with other countries.”
Last year, India enacted new IT regulations that give it greater control over information on social networking networks. The laws also compel social media businesses to a higher standard of accountability, which has generated a backlash from a number of companies. The regulations went into force in the middle of last year.
