New Delhi: India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content, along with false and misleading narratives targeting India, its Army, and security agencies.
The decision was taken by the Government of India based on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs following the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir.
The banned channels include Dawn News, Irshad Bhatti, SAMAA TV, ARY NEWS, BOL NEWS, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, Geo News, Samaa Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, SUNO News HD, and Razi Naama.
These channels were found to be disseminating disinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations, and public order. Together, these YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 6.3080 crore.
They were spreading false and unverified information aimed at creating panic, inciting communal disharmony, and disturbing public order within India, according to an official statement.
The banned channels were posting fake news on various subjects, such as the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir, and India’s foreign relations in light of the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a related move, the official X handle of the Government of Pakistan had also been withheld by India following the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 innocent civilians and injured several others.
Following the deadly attack, India launched a strong diplomatic offensive, summoning Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and handing over a formal Persona Non Grata note for all Pakistani military attaches.
The moves are part of a series of sweeping retaliatory actions by India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the assault a “cowardly attack on innocent civilians.”
The attack, orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror outfit The Resistance Front, has triggered a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries.
In response to the attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by Prime Minister Modi, announced several stringent measures.
These include the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the Attari-Wagah border, cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, expulsion of Pakistan’s military attaches from New Delhi and a reduction in diplomatic staff at both High Commissions.
IANS
India blocks X account of Pak Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
New Delhi: The Central government on Tuesday blocked the X account of Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif following the barbaric terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that left 26...
India raises strong objection to terminology, reporting bias in BBC’s Pahalgam coverage
New Delhi: India has written to a leading British public service broadcaster, raising the country's "strong sentiments" over the BBC's reporting on the Pahalgam terror attack, sources said. The government...
Govt directs Google to remove Chinese app for showing wrong map of India
New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), along with the Survey of India (SoI), has directed US tech giant Google to remove the Chinese chat app ‘Ablo’...
Centre slams X for ‘censorship portal’ claim, defends Sahyog in Karnataka HC
Bengaluru: The Union government has strongly objected to Elon Musk-owned X Corp’s characterisation of the ‘Sahyog’ portal as a "censorship portal", filing an objection in the Karnataka High Court. The...
Centre seeks reply from X over its chatbot Grok’s controversial responses
New Delhi: The Central government has reportedly sought an answer from Elon Musk's social media platform X over its AI chatbot Grok using Hindi slang and abuses in responses. Media...
Empathy can help journalists beat AI: President Murmu at Ramnath Goenka Awards
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday noted that AI, which is disrupting the world with opportunities as well as challenges, has entered the field of media too but it...
PM Modi joins Trump-owned ‘Truth Social’ platform after US President shares podcast link
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday joined US President Donald Trump-owned social media platform, Truth Social, following a post by the American leader. The post shared a video...
Digital arrest: Centre blocks over 3,962 Skype IDs, 83,668 WhatsApp accounts
New Delhi: The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has proactively identified and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for Digital Arrest scams so far,...
Women of substance take over PM Modi’s social media handles on International Women’s Day
New Delhi: Indian chess Grandmaster R Vaishali, along with scientists Elina Mishra and Shilpi Soni, took over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's X handle on International Women's Day, sharing inspiring messages...
Rival social media platforms criticise YouTube’s likely exemption from Australia’s teen social media ban
Canberra: Three social media platforms -- TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat have criticised proposed regulations that would exclude YouTube from Australia's upcoming social media ban for teenagers. The three technology companies...
Follow code on age-based content classification, I&B Ministry tells OTT platforms
New Delhi: In the backdrop of ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy linked to Ranveer Allahbadia, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has advised OTT platforms to follow the norms for age-based...
Have clear policies for content removal requests from govts: YouTube on Allahbadia video
New Delhi: After the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed social media platform YouTube to pull down “obscene and vulgar” content based on remarks of podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia on the...
