India on Tuesday blocked as many as 22 YouTube channels with millions of views for spreading "fake news" over social media on "subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security and foreign relations". In a statement, the Indian Information and Broadcasting Ministry said that the decision was taken utilising the emergency powers under the country's Information Technology Rules, 2021. Read: Nepal-India cross-border railway to resume service Apart from the 22 YouTube-based news channels, three Twitter accounts, one Facebook account and one news website have been blocked, the Ministry said. "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." Of the 22 YouTube channels, 18 were Indian and four Pakistan based, the Ministry said. According to the statement, these channels were used to post fake news on various subjects such as the Indian armed forces and Jammu and Kashmir. "The content ordered to be blocked also included certain anti-India content posted from multiple social media accounts operated in a coordinated manner from Pakistan," it said. The blocked Indian YouTube channels were using templates and logos of certain TV news channels, including images of their news anchors, to mislead the viewers to believe that the news was authentic, according to the Ministry. Read: India's largest pvt home finance firm announces historic merger "False thumbnails were used; and title and thumbnail of the videos were frequently altered to increase the virality of content on social media. In certain cases, it was also observed that systematic anti-India fake news was originating from Pakistan." In January also, the Indian government blocked as many as 35 Pakistan-backed YouTube channels with over 130 crore views "for spreading fake and misleading information on social media". These YouTube channels were spreading fake news like the Indian government was responsible for the death of this country's first military chief -- General Bipin Rawat -- and that his daughter would accept Islam, the Ministry then said. The 63-year-old four-star General was on his way to deliver a lecture at Defence Services Staff College in Wellington in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in December last year, when his chopper crashed in a hilly terrain and burst into flames. While 13 people on board were killed on the spot, an Air Force officer died later in the crash.

India on Friday said that it has blocked as many as 35 Pakistan-backed YouTube channels with over 130 crore views "for spreading fake and misleading information on social media". The Indian Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the decision to take down the YouTube channels, two Twitter accounts, two Instagram accounts, two websites and one Facebook account operating from Pakistan was made in view of intelligence inputs. These YouTube channels had been spreading fake news like the Indian government was responsible for the death of this country's first military chief -- General Bipin Rawat -- and that his daughter would accept Islam, the Ministry said. Read: India test-fires latest version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile "The contest is absolutely fake and toxic like the government is responsible for Bipin Rawat's death, North Korean Army is going to Kashmir etc. What sort of nonsense is this," Information secretary Apurva Chandra told the media in the national capital. "And these YouTube accounts had a total subscriber base of over 1.20 crore. These videos had 130 crore views, which is almost the population of India. Our intelligence agencies are now aware of the situation and more such channels on YouTube will get blocked," he added. It may be mentioned here that a tri-services probe has already concluded that "human error in cloudy weather" led to the chopper crash that killed India's first military chief, his wife, and 12 other armed forces personnel in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in December last year. According to the probe report, a sudden cloud cover over Coonoor district in the hilly terrain of the Nilgiris in the southern state of Tamil Nadu led to the military chopper's "unintentional collision with a mountain" on December 8. Tri-services probe means an investigation by the three branches of the military -- the Indian Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. Read: First aid flights leave for Tonga after big volcano eruption The 63-year-old four-star General was on his way to deliver a lecture at Defence Services Staff College in Wellington when the Mi-17 V5 chopper crashed in the Nilgiris and burst into flames. While 13 people on board were killed on the spot, an Air Force officer died later. General Rawat has had a chequered career in the armed forces spanning over 40 years, rising from the rank of a junior commissioned officer to the Indian Army chief and eventually the first head of the tri-services. He reported directly to the Indian Prime Minister.  

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said the YouTube channels and IP TVs would not be allowed to present news.