Following the terrorist attack on Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian government strengthened its approaches to restrain false information circulation while protecting national security. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) India Bans 16 YouTube Channels on April 28, 2025, including 10 Indian and 6 Pakistan-based channels that spread false information regarding Indian national security and foreign relations and public order issues.
Reasons for the Ban
The I&B Ministry cited these channels for distributing false and unverified material that generated public panic and communal tension, and public disruption throughout India. Some of the India-based channels, through their content, referred to a specific community as terrorists while promoting religious hate between groups. The Pakistan-based channels spread fabricated information focused on the Indian Army, along with Jammu and Kashmir events, as well as Indian foreign policy, especially regarding Ukraine developments.
The ministry stated that all digital news publishers failed to satisfy Rule 18 requirements from the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Notable Channels Affected
The broadcasting services from Shoaib Akhtar and Arzoo Kazmi, and Syed Muzammil Shah, alongside others, have become unavailable to Indian viewers. The distribution of content from prominent Pakistani news outlets, including Dawn News and Geo News and Samaa TV, and BOL News, has completely ceased.
Government’s Stance
The Indian government used emergency powers found in the IT Rules of 2021 to establish these bans. The ministry announced that these broadcasts contained full misinformation which threatened India’s national security and its sovereignty and integrity, and its friendly relationship with foreign nations . The government had recently taken steps to block various YouTube channels and social media accounts because they spread content against India. Through its emergency powers, the ministry conducted blocks of 55 YouTube channels alongside Twitter and Facebook accounts between December and January.
Implications
These India Bans 16 YouTube Channels blocks reflect India’s dedication to digital security as well as public order protection in the internet domain. Government initiatives focus on blocking misinformation sources, particularly foreign-originating sources, to prevent material propagation that threatens national sovereignty or instigates unrest.
The Indian government monitors digital fake news spreading and deceptive information mechanisms with extra caution during events that create serious security risks throughout the digital environment, which continues to transform.
