Acting on intelligence inputs, the Government has blocked 35 YouTube channels, two Twitter accounts, two Instagram accounts, two websites, and a Facebook account for spreading anti-India propaganda and spreading fake news in a “coordinated manner” on the Internet from Pakistan.
Talking to the media, Apurva Chandra, secretary Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry, said these YouTube accounts had a total subscriber base of over 1.20 crore, and their videos had over 130 crore views. The Government last month had blocked 20 YouTube channels and two websites for spreading anti-India fake and divisive news and other content.
According to Chandra, the 35 YouTube accounts blocked by the Ministry were all operating from Pakistan and were identified to be part of four coordinated disinformation networks. These include Faisal Tarar Speaks, Apni Dunya TV, Haqeekat ki Dunia, Shahzad Abbas, Mera Pakistan with Shahab, Khabar with Ahmed, HR tv, Sabee Kazmi, Such tv network, Saqib Speaks, and Salman Haider Officials.
The Apni Duniya Network operates 14 YouTube channels, and Talha Films Network operates 13 YouTube channels. A set of four channels and a set of two other channels were also found to be acting in synchronisation with each other.
The channels were used to post divisive content in a coordinated manner on topics like Kashmir, Indian Army, minority communities in India, Ram Mandir, General Bipin Rawat, etc. One of the groups identified on YouTube was “Naya Pakistan”.
The channels had a combined subscriber base of over 35 lakh, and their videos had over 55 crore views. Some of the YouTube channels of the Naya Pakistan Group (NPG) were being operated by anchors of Pakistani news channels.
“The contest is absolutely fake and toxic like the government is responsible for Bipin Rawat’s death, Bipin Rawat’s daughter is accepting Islam, North Korean army is going to Kashmir, etc. What sort of nonsense is this! And these YouTube accounts had a total subscriber base of over 1.20 crore. These videos had 130 crore views, which is almost the population of India. Our intelligence agencies are now alive to the situation and more such news channels on YouTube will get blocked,” Chandra said.
“ 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.
