From a "nuclear explosion" in the country to North Korea sending troops to Ayodhya, the 102 YouTube channels banned by the government were known to routinely spread disinformation about India to its lakhs of subscribers, and were "monetising fake news", officials have said.
The government started the crackdown against such YouTube channels for the first time in December last year using its emergency powers under the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
Invoking the rules notified in February last year, the government has blocked access to the 102 YouTube channels, numerous websites and social media accounts that used templates and logos of popular television channels to mislead their viewers into believing that the news presented by them was authentic, officials said.
