Such material was found to have the potential to create communal disharmony, the government said
New Delhi:
According to an official statement, the Center on Monday blocked 16 YouTube channels, including six Pakistan-based and one Facebook account, for spreading propaganda related to India’s national security, foreign relations and public order.
The statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that the blocked YouTube channel and Facebook account had a cumulative viewer count of over 68 crore and “false, unverified information is being used to create panic, incite communal disharmony and disturb public order in India”. “Were spreading for. ,
It said, “No digital news publisher has furnished the information required under Rule 18 of the IT Rules, 2021 to the Ministry.”
The ministry said that the content published by some blocked India-based YouTube channels referred to members of a particular community as terrorists and incited hatred between different religious communities.
“Such material was found to have the potential to create communal disharmony and disturb public order,” it said.
The ministry said that several India-based YouTube channels were publishing unverified news and videos, which had the potential to create panic among various sections of the society.
“Examples include false claims relating to the announcement of a pan-India lockdown due to COVID-19, threatening migrant workers, and fabricated claims alleging threats to certain religious communities. injurious to public order,” it said.
According to the ministry, Pakistan-based blocked YouTube channels were used in a coordinated manner to post fake news about India on various topics such as army, Jammu and Kashmir and foreign relations in light of the war situation. – hit Ukraine.
“The contents of these channels were considered to be completely incorrect and sensitive from the point of view of national security, sovereignty and integrity of India and India’s friendly relations with foreign states,” the ministry said.
The ministry last week issued an advisory to private television news channels, cautioning them against making false claims and using scandalous headlines.
Blocked YouTube channels include MRF TV LIVE, Saini Education Research, Tahfuz-e-Din India and SBB News.
Channels based in Pakistan include Ajtak Pakistan, Discover Point, Reality Check and The Voice of Asia.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)