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Rajkot Updates – Ban on Fake YouTube Channels That Mislead Users

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has asked all Indian internet service providers to ban fake YouTube channels that mislead users.

According to a series of tweets published by Press Information Bureau (PIB), names of the channels and fake news they spread were listed. These channels use clickbait and sensational thumbnails of TV Channels’ logos and images of their news anchors to mislead viewers. Here we will discuss about rajkotupdates.news:a-ban-on-fake-youtube-channels-that-mislead-users-the-ministry-said.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a ban on fake YouTube channels that mislead users

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has banned 18 Indian and four Pakistan-based YouTube channels for spreading disinformation that can impact India’s national security, foreign relations and public order. The banned channels had a combined viewership of over 114 crore, the ministry said in an official statement. The government has also urged YouTube to block the channels.

The channels – Nation TV, Samvaad TV, Sarokar Bharat, Nation 24, Swarnim Bharat and Samvaad Samachar – have been accused of “working in a coordinated manner” to spread fake information on the country’s political situation, elections, proceedings in the Supreme Court and Parliament, the functioning of the government and other issues. They were part of a “fake news economy” that thrived on monetization, the ministry said.

According to the report, they used fake and sensational thumbnails, images of TV news anchors, and logos of television channels to mislead their viewers and earn money through monetization. They were also involved in spreading disinformation on subjects such as armed forces and Jammu and Kashmir.

These channels had more than 85 lakh subscribers, the ministry said, adding that their videos had garnered a total of 114 crore views. Apart from these, one Facebook account and two posts were blocked as well.

In addition, the I&B Ministry imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 per day on each channel for its failure to comply with the terms and conditions. The ministry had alleged that the channels were violating various laws such as the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, Press Council Act 1978 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

While this is a step in the right direction, it may be difficult for the government to enforce. However, the ban will help to protect users from deception, and prevent them from accessing inaccurate information on YouTube.

The ban comes after the PIB Fact Check Unit busted six channels that were peddling false news in India on Thursday. The unit released six separate Twitter threads with over 100 fact-checks to counter the fake news.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has asked all Indian internet service providers to ban fake YouTube channels

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur has directed the Department of Telecom to direct all internet service providers to ban fake YouTube channels that mislead users. According to a press release by the Ministry, the content is “sensitive from the perspective of national security and facts are incorrect” as it comes from a coordinated disinformation network that operates from Pakistan.

The ministry said the content was being aimed at creating “fear and confusion” in the country by running anti-India propaganda and fake news that is in violation of Indian laws. It has ordered the blocking of 20 YouTube channels and two websites in an effort to “blunt their agenda” against India, reports the Hindustan Times.

MIB said the channels and websites belong to a “coordinated disinformation network operating from Pakistan” and spread fake news about various sensitive subjects related to India including Kashmir, the Indian Army, minority communities in India, Ram Mandir, General Bipin Rawat, etc. It also cited inputs from intelligence agencies.

According to the ministry, the content on these channels was being promoted with a view to “disrupt public order in the country” and were “unsuitable for dissemination”. It has also been alleged that these videos were being misused to promote “pro-Pakistan” views by “falsely asserting” India’s support for terrorism and spreading false news about Israel, China, and the Sikh community.

It was further found that the content was being shared across multiple social media platforms, which were being used for disseminating this “false and unsuitable” information to reach large audiences. The ministry cited a number of cases of social media accounts being blocked and the content removed under government orders, including those by Twitter and Facebook.

These orders were issued under emergency powers vested in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under Rule 16 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. This new set of rules brings social media and streaming platforms under the government’s control for the first time. It allows the central government to appoint a self-regulatory body and an inter-departmental committee, which has wide-ranging powers to warn or censor publishers, if they are in breach of the rules.

The Rajkot district administration has announced a ban on fake YouTube channels

Rajkot is a city in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state. It is surrounded by Morbi district in north, Surendranagar and Botad districts in east, Amreli and Junagadh districts in south and Porbandar Jamnagar district in west.

The district is divided into 11 talukas. These are Paddhari, Lodhika, Dhoraji, Rajkot, Jam Kandorna, Upleta, Jetpur, Kotda Sangani, Jasdan and Vinchhiya.

It also has 8 Vidhan Sabha constituencies. These are Rajkot East, Rajkot West, Rajkot Rural, Jasdan, Gondal, Jetpur and Dhoraji.

There are about 600 villages in this district as per 2011 census data. The district is further divided into talukas, blocks and community development block (C.D.Block).

In addition to this, the collector of Rajkot is a direct representative of the government and coordinates all other departments of the district. He is assisted by Deputy Collectors, Prant Officers and Mamlatdars for various departments and talukas.

The collector of this district is responsible for the revenue collection of the whole Rajkot district and all talukas falling in it. He also deals with the welfare of the general citizens, farmers, cooperative societies, business community and poor people.

A recent ban on fake YouTube channels that mislead users was announced by the Indian government. It said that the channels were operating as part of a coordinated disinformation network and had nearly 20 lakh subscribers.

According to the ministry of information and broadcasting, the channels were using misleading thumbnails and titles to spread fake news about India’s national security and public order. The government said that these channels were monetising the false and anti-India content.

The ban on these channels comes as part of the government’s new policy to crack down on fraudulent activities on social media platforms. The ministry has asked all Indian internet service providers to ban these fake channels. The ministry will also provide guidance to internet companies on how to prevent fake channels from being launched.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a notification to all online media platforms

A fresh order to block 18 Indian plus four Pakistan-based YouTube channels that have a total core viewership of over 260 has been issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. These channels were found to be spreading fake news on subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security, India’s foreign relations and public order. The ministry cited a report by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) which said that fake videos and social media posts were being shared in coordination with each other on various social media platforms and WhatsApp groups.

According to the PIB Fact Check unit, these channels are part of a coordinated disinformation network and are spreading false news about elections, proceedings in the Supreme Court and Parliament of India, functioning of the government and many other things. Examples given by the PIB include false claims regarding ban on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), fake statements attributed to senior Constitutional functionaries including President of India and Chief Justice of India, farm loan waivers, etc.

The PIB Fact Check unit released six separate Twitter threads having over 100 fact-checks to counter the fake news spread by these YouTube channels. These videos used sensational thumbnails with logos of television channels and images of TV anchors to mislead viewers into believing that the news was authentic, the release read.

It added that these channels were operating in a coordinated manner and were spreading false information in India through YouTube. They had nearly 20 lakh subscribers and their videos had been watched over 51 crore times. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that the fake information was a part of a fake news economy that thrived on monetization.

While the decision to bring online content providers under the ambit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is a positive step, it also comes as a surprise for many. Previously, online content providers were under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology which has not had any specific regulation or guidelines to cover OTT platforms and other content creators.

The move to bring OTT platforms and other online content providers under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is seen as a precursor to regulatory frameworks for OTT platforms on the lines of broadcasting. However, there is a level of apprehension as to what this change means and how it will affect the freedom of expression. To know more about rajkotupdates.news:a-ban-on-fake-youtube-channels-that-mislead-users-the-ministry-said just click on the below link.