Yesterday India banned two websites and 20 YouTube channels for carrying out anti- India propaganda from Pakistan. This was the first implementation of the Information Technology (Arbitration Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules,2021. It has been found that these channels and websites, were carrying out” investigator of malicious, counterfeit and anti-India content”
During investigations, it emerged that these websites were operated from Pakistan. Of the YouTube channels banned in India,15 are owned by the Naked Group in Pakistan and have a following of more than 1 million subscribers, and the other channels include “The Naked Truth”, ”48 News”, and “ Junaid Halim Official”. Sources said the movies and photographic content material disseminated on its platform contains equivalent to “ PM Modi concedes defeat in Kashmir, Article 370 restored, Taliban Army leaves Kabul for India, Erdogan sends 35,000 mercenaries for Kashmir, and Turk Army enters Ayodhya Ram Mandir to take revenge” all of which has seen the ministry as a ”concerted effort to sow unrest in India.” These types of videos has been viewed more than 500 million times. The content in question ranged from “ reprehensible” to “shameless” attack on India’s security and sovereignty” and its origins appears to be in Pakistan and its links to Pakistan’s ISI.
These channels hosted fake videos about farmers’ protests. Previously security agencies flagged the increasing presence of radical elements during farmers’ protests. The Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), banned due to the anti-Indian separatist movement, is said to have instigated farmers in Delhi and Punjab.
According to IT rules, the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) and YouTube must also approve the ministry’s interim orders at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Government Committee (IGC) within 48 hours. This is also the first time the IGC will meet since the announcement of the IT rules in February this year.
It has been said that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is identifying and working separately against used- manufactured goods, this is the first time I & B Ministry has taken disciplinary action against IT rules. The I & B Ministry has done this action for the first time under the IT regulations, emergency power under Section 16 of the IT rules, an emergency clause that allows I & B to block content deemed “necessary or expedient and reasonable to block. I & B Ministry, have been cited to ban anti-Indian propaganda websites and YouTube channels.
YouTube is also learned to have confirmed compliance to block the channels identified by the ministry within 24 to 48 hours.
In my opinion, this is a new beginning for IT and I & B Ministries. Hope they keep on doing such good work in the future as there are still many channels and websites that promote anti-India content.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
21st December 2021
R. N. Mungale.
Central Government has taken a good decision.
Tejinder Singh Sethi
Good step by the government and ban all such propogandist you tube channels.