45 YouTube videos from 10 Youtube channels blocked by I&B Ministry

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has directed YouTube to block 45 YouTube videos from 10 YouTube channels, based on the inputs from intelligence agencies.

The orders to block the concerned videos were issued on 23.09.2022 under the provisions of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. The blocked videos had a cumulative viewership of over 1 crore 30 lakh views.

These videos had morphed images and included fake news, spread with the intent to spread hatred among religious communities. Examples include false claims such as the Government to have taken away the religious rights of certain communities, violent threats against religious communities, declaration of civil war in India, etc.

Such videos were found to have the potential to cause communal disharmony and disrupt public order in the country.

Some of the videos blocked by the Ministry were being used to spread disinformation on senisitve issues related to Agnipath scheme, Indian Armed Forces, India’s national security apparatus, Kashmir, etc. The content was observed to be false and sensitive from the perspective of national security of the country and its friendly relations with foreign States.

The Government of India remains committed to thwart any attempts at undermining India’s sovereignty and integrity, national security, foreign relations, and public order.

Earlier, the government had blocked 102 YouTube channels and Facebook accounts that sought to create communal disharmony and were also spreading fake news.