New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has blocked 22 YouTube channels including four Pakistan-based YouTube news channels for spreading disinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations, and public order. Also, three Twitter accounts, one Facebook account and one news website were blocked.

 According to the ministry, the blocked YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 260 crores and were used to spread fake news, and coordinated disinformation over social media on subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security, India’s foreign relations, and public order.

This is the first time action has been taken against the Indian YouTube-based news publishers since the notification of the IT Rules, 2021 in February 2021.

Through the recent blocking order, eighteen (18) Indian and four (4) Pakistan based YouTube news channels have been blocked.

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.