The Information & Broadcasting Minister, Anurag Thakur, on Thursday said, the Centre has taken strong action against YouTube channels and websites that had been found to be working against the interests of the country by spreading fake news and propaganda.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Thakur said, the I&B Ministry has taken action agains 94 YouTube channels, 19 social media accounts and 747 URLs. All these were pulled down under the Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000.
He added, the Centre has never hesitated to take strong action against agencies that were found to be working against the sovereignty of the country by spreading fake news and propaganda on the internet.
Recently, in April, the I&B Ministry had issued orders for blocking of twenty-two YouTube based news channels, three Twitter accounts, one Facebook account, and one news website. The blocked YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 260 crore, and were used to spread fake news, and coordinated disinformation over social media on subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security, India’s foreign relations, and public order, it had said. It also said, this was done using the emergency powers under the under the IT Rules, 2021,
Similarly, in January, the Ministry had ordered the blocking of 35 YouTube channels operating from Pakistan and two websites after Indian intelligence agencies had flagged them for running anti-India propaganda. In December, the Ministry utilised the emergency powers under the IT Rules and had ordered blocking of 20 YouTube channels and two websites on similar grounds.