New Delhi: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has blocked 22 YouTube channels, including 4 operating from Pakistan, for spreading misinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations, and public order.
Three Twitter accounts, a Facebook account and a news website have also been blocked.
📺YouTube channels used logos of TV news channels & false thumbnails to mislead viewers
📺3 Twitter accounts, 1 Facebook account, and 1 news website also blocked
Details⏩ https://t.co/GOf23eihak pic.twitter.com/9bKUg2QwHP
— PIB in Odisha (@PIBBhubaneswar) April 5, 2022
“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,” a PIB release read.
“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 jeopardizing India’s foreign relations with other countries,” it said.
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, it added.
In January, the Ministry had blocked 35 news channels on YouTube operating from Pakistan and two websites.
Since December 2021, the Ministry has blocked 78 news channels on YouTube and several other social media accounts for similar offences.
