The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a statement on Tuesday said this action has been taken under emergency powers of IT Rules, 2021

Taking a firm step against spreading fake, unverifiable and unsubstantiated contents which could impact the country’s sovereignty and integrity, national security, foreign relations and public order, India on Monday (April 4, 2022) ordered blocking of 22 YouTube based news channels, 3 Twitter accounts, 1 Facebook account and 1 news website.

With this action, since December 2021, the Ministry has issued directions for blocking 78 YouTube based news channels and several other social media accounts on grounds related to national security, sovereignty and integrity of India and public order.

Deliberate attempt to sabotage India’s interests

The Ministry said the 22 YouTube based news channels which have been asked to be blocked had a cumulative viewership of over 260 crore and were used to spread fake news, coordinated disinformation over social media on subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security, India’s foreign relations and public order.

The Ministry said that this is the first time action has been taken on the Indian YouTube based news publishers since the notification of the IT Rules, 2021 in February last year.

With this blocking order, eighteen (18) Indian and four (4) Pakistan based YouTube news channels have been blocked, the Ministry added.

Multiple YouTube channels were used to post fake news on various subjects such as the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir, the Ministry maintained.

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, the Ministry said.

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, the Ministry added.

Modus Operandi:

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 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.