The Government of India banned six more YouTube channels for propagating “fake news and misinformation”.
The six YouTube channels were found to be operating as part of a coordinated disinformation network, had nearly 20 lakh subscribers and their videos have been watched over 51 crore times, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said.
The names of these channels are Nation TV, Sarokar Bharat, Nation 24, Samvad Samachar, Swarnim Bharat and Sambad TV.
In December, the government banned 104 YouTube channels, 45 videos, four Facebook accounts, three Instagram accounts, five Twitter handles and six websites for threatening national security and spreading fake news.
The YouTube channels exposed by the PIB Fact Check unit spread fake news about the elections, proceedings in the Supreme Court and Parliament of India, the functioning of the Government of India, etc.
Examples include false claims regarding a ban on Electronic Voting Machines and false statements attributed to senior Constitutional functionaries including the Hon’ble President of India and Chief Justice of India.