Centre orders blocking of 35 Pakistan-based YouTube channels, 2 websites for anti-India content, fake news
New Delhi, Jan 21: The Indian government has blocked 35 YouTube-based news channels and two websites engaged in spreading anti-India fake news in a coordinated manner over digital media, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said in a statement.
The combined subscribers of the blocked accounts are over 1.20 lakh with the channels garnering over 130 crore views. Additionally, two Twitter accounts, two Instagram accounts, and one Facebook account have also been blocked by the Government for being involved in spreading coordinated anti-India disinformation over the internet, said the statement.
Vide
five
separate
orders
issued
under
rule
16
of
the
Information
Technology
(Intermediary
Guidelines
and
Digital
Media
Ethics
Code)
Rules,
2021,
the
Ministry
has
ordered
to
block
these
Pakistan
based
social
media
accounts
and
websites.
Indian
intelligence
agencies
were
closely
monitoring
these
social
media
accounts
and
websites,
and
flagged
them
to
the
Ministry
for
immediate
action,
it
added.
Modus
Operandi:
Coordinated
Disinformation
Networks
The 35 accounts blocked by the Ministry were all operating from Pakistan, and were identified to be part of four coordinated disinformation networks. These include the Apni Duniya Network operating 14 YouTube channels, and Talha Films Network operating 13 YouTube channels. A set of four channels, and a set of two other channels were also found to be acting in synchronization with each other.
All these networks appeared to be operated with a single goal of spreading fake news oriented towards the Indian audience. The channels which were part of a network used common hashtags and editing styles, were being operated by common persons, and cross promoted each other's content. Some of the YouTube channels were being operated by anchors of Pakistani TV news channels.
"The YouTube channels, websites, and other social media accounts blocked by the Ministry were used by Pakistan for spreading anti-India fake news about sensitive subjects related to India. These include topics such as the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir, and India's foreign relations with other countries. It was observed that rampant fake news was spread through the YouTube channels regarding the demise of the former Chief of Defence Staff Late General Bipin Rawat. These YouTube channels had also started posting content to undermine the democratic process of the upcoming elections in five states," the press release said.
It further stated, "The channels propagated content to encourage separatism, divide India on the lines of religion, and create animosity among the various sections of the Indian society. Such information was feared to have the potential to incite the audience into commission of crimes adversely affecting public order in the country.
The recent action taken by the Government follows the blocking of 20 YouTube channels and 2 websites in December, 2021 when the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021 were first utilized to act against such anti-India fake news networks. The intelligence agencies and the Ministry continue to work closely in order to secure the overall information environment in India."