India blocked eight YouTube-based news channels, including one operating from Pakistan and one Facebook account for posting "fake, anti-India content" online.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a statement today said that the action was taken by imposing emergency powers under Information Technology Rules, 2021. The blocked YouTube channels had cumulative views of over 114 crore and were subscribed by over 85 lakh users.
After analysing the content it was established that the purpose of these YouTube channels was to spread hatred amongst various religious communities in the country and included the agenda of spreading fake news, the ministry said.
Examples of some of the fake news spread via the means of these channels included news such as the "Government of India to have ordered demolition of religious structures; Government of India to have banned the celebration of religious festivals, Declaration of religious war in India, etc."
Such content was found to have the potential to create communal disharmony and disturb public order in the country, the ministry statement 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 ministry said.
The blocked Indian YouTube channels were observed to be using fake and sensational thumbnails, images of news anchors and logos of certain TV news channels to mislead the viewers to believe that the news was authentic.
Pakistan-based "News Ki Duniya" with over 95,000 subscriptions has been blocked.
The Facebook page of Loktantra TV, which has been blocked, has over 3.62 lakh followers. The YouTube site of Loktantra TV with over 12.90 lakh subscribers had been previously blocked.
Of the blocked sites, 'Sab Kuch Dekho' had the most subscribers with 19.4 lakh, and nearly 33 crore views.
U&V TV with over 10.20 lakh subscribers also stood blocked. Other sites blocked include AM Razvi, Gouravshali Pawan Mithilanchal, SeeTop5TH, and Sarkari Update.
(ANI)