New Delhi| Aug, 18: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has blocked eight YouTube channels, seven Indian and one Pakistan-based, for spreading disinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations and public order, it said in a press release on Thursday. The blocked YouTube channels had over 114 crore views and over 85 lakh subscribers. It said that fake anti-India content was being monetised by the blocked channels on YouTube.
“The purpose of the content published by some of these YouTube channels was to spread hatred among religious communities in India. False claims were made in various videos of the blocked YouTube channels. Examples include fake news such as the Government of India to have ordered demolition of religious structures; Government of India to have banned 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,” it said in a release.
Fake news was allegedly posted on topics including the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir, etc. 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 channels are Loktantra TV, U&V TV, AM Razvi, Gouravshali Pawan Mithilanchal, SeeTop5TH, Sarkari Update, Sab Kuch Dekho and Pakistan-based News ki Dunya.
