Over 150 websites and YouTube-based news channels have been taken down by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) since May 2021 for producing content deemed “anti-India.” These actions were carried out under Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, which grants the government authority to issue directives for blocking content that threatens national sovereignty, integrity, security, foreign relations, public order, or incites cognizable offences.
An unnamed senior official from the I&B Ministry confirmed that the ministry had removed over 150 websites and YouTube channels in the past two years for disseminating anti-India content. Among the channels taken down were popular ones such as Khabar with Facts, Khabar Taiz, Information Hub, Flash Now, Mera Pakistan, Hakikat Ki Duniya, and Apni Dunya TV. These YouTube news channels had a collective subscriber count of over 12 million and garnered more than 1.3 billion views.
The I&B ministry has been actively issuing takedown orders to combat misinformation and safeguard national sovereignty under the new IT rules introduced in February 2021. Previously, in July 2022, Minister Anurag Thakur informed Parliament about blocking 78 YouTube-based news channels and 560 YouTube links over violations. The government remains committed to taking action against any social media accounts that engage in conspiracy theories or attempt to mislead the public.