Indian Union government Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has ordered the blocking of 35 YouTube channels and two websites which were running anti-India propaganda and spreading fake news “in a coordinated manner”.
Addressing a press conference, Vikram Sahay, Joint Secretary (P&A), I-B Ministry said: “Yesterday on January 20, based on fresh intelligence inputs which the Ministry received, we have issued directions for blocking 35 YouTube channels, 2 Twitter accounts, 2 Instagram Accounts, 2 websites, and a Facebook account”.
“The common factor amongst all these accounts have been that they operate from Pakistan and spread fake anti-India news & other content,” he added,
Apurva Chandra, Secretary, I&B Ministry, said that they are YouTube channels with a 1.20 crore subscriber base, 130 crore views.
“Now since this process has started, I am sure that more and more such channels will get blocked. Our Intelligence agencies are at work. We’ll look forward to your support too,” he added.
Indian intelligence agencies were closely monitoring these social media accounts and websites and flagged them to the ministry for immediate action, he added.
“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,” the ministry said in a statement later.
The orders were issued on Thursday.
