The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) banned eight YouTube-based news channels, one Facebook account, and two Facebook posts under the IT rules 2021 for spreading disinformation about India’s national security, foreign relations and public order.
Furthermore, the blocked YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 114 Cr and were subscribed to by over 85 Lakh users, according to the ministry. According to the ministry, the purpose of the content published by some of these YouTube channels was to incite hatred among India’s religious communities. In several videos from the blocked YouTube channels, false claims were made. Furthermore, the blocked channels were showing advertisements on their videos that contained false content that was harmful to communal harmony, public order, and India’s foreign relations.
