Centre blocks 6 YouTube channels for spreading fake news

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has cracked down on fake news YouTube Channels.

The Press Information Bureau's Fact Check Unit uncovered six YouTube channels that were distributing misleading information around the country in a coordinated fashion.

The channels had approximately 20 lakh subscribers, and their videos were viewed over 51 million times. These channels disseminate false information concerning the elections, the Supreme Court and Parliament of India, and the functioning of the Indian government.

After being "busted," the networks Samvaad Samachar, Samvaad TV, and Nation TV changed their identities to Inside India, Inside Bharat, and Nation Weekly, according to the reports.

The videos on the aforementioned channels contained fraudulent assertions about the prohibition on electronic voting machines, as well as fake remarks ascribed to top constitutional officers such as the President and the Chief Justice of India.

“The channels are part of a fake news economy that thrives on monetization of fake news,” the statement said.

Previously, in December 2022, the fact check unit discovered three YouTube channels that were reportedly spreading bogus news against the Supreme Court and important constitutional functionaries.

The Fact Check Unit has then discovered over 40 instances in which these networks were disseminating misleading material.