'Blocked YouTube channels spread nuclear fear, communal hatred, monetised fake news'

Since February last year, the government has blocked access to the 102 YouTube channels, numerous websites and social media accounts

From a "nuclear explosion" in the country to North Korea sending troops to Ayodhya, the 102 YouTube channels banned by the government were known to routinely spread disinformation about India to its lakhs of subscribers, and were "monetising fake news", officials have said.

The government started the crackdown against such YouTube channels for the first time in December last year using its emergency powers under the Information Technology Rules, 2021.

Invoking the rules notified in February last year, the government has blocked access to the 102 YouTube channels, numerous websites and social media accounts that used templates and logos of popular television channels to mislead their viewers into believing that the news presented by them was authentic, officials said.

According to a Ministry official, the intelligence agencies have been monitoring social media accounts, websites and flagging them to the Ministry for action.

"Several of these channels were even earning revenue through advertisements and monetising fake news," the official said.

The latest round of action came last Thursday, when the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered the blocking of eight YouTube channels, including one based in Pakistan, for presenting news such as 'ban on Bakra-eid celebrations in India', purported "attacks" on religious places revered by Muslims and joint "invasion" of Turkey by India and Egypt.

A YouTube channel, A M Razvi, talked about "military action on Ajmer Dargah" and "Muslims flying an Islamic flag on a temple", while Pakistan-based ' News ki Duniya' channels claimed that the 'Qutub Minar mosque' had been demolished.