Following comments from news agencies, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered YouTube to block 45 YouTube videos from 10 YouTube channels. The orders to block the videos in question were issued on 23/09/2022 in accordance with the provisions of the Information Technology (Instructions for Intermediaries and Digital Media Code of Conduct) Rules, 2021. The blocked videos had a cumulative viewership of over 1 million 30 million views.
The content included fake news and morphed videos spread with the intention of spreading hatred between religious communities. Examples include false claims that the government has taken away religious rights from certain communities, threats of violence against religious communities, declaration of civil war in India, etc. Such videos have been found to cause communal disharmony and disturb public order in the country.
Some of the videos blocked by the ministry were used to spread misinformation on issues related to the Agnipath scheme, Indian Armed Forces, India’s national security apparatus, Kashmir, etc. The content was observed to be false and sensitive in terms of national security and India’s friendly relations with foreign countries. Some videos depicted India’s erroneous external borders with parts of J&K and Ladakh outside Indian territory. Such cartographic distortion has been found to be detrimental to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.
Speaking on the matter, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Shri Anurag Thakur said that the content blocked by the ministry harms India’s sovereignty and integrity, national security, India’s friendly relations with foreign countries and public order. in the country. The Minister further said that the Government of India remains determined to thwart any attempts to undermine India’s sovereignty and integrity, national security, foreign relations and public order.
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