India blocks 22 YouTube channels Cites nat’l security concerns

India's government yesterday said it has banned 22 YouTube channels, including four of Pakistani origin, for disinformation on subjects concerning national security and public order, the latest such federal crackdown in the country.

The country's Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said the blocked YouTube channels had a combined total of 2.6 billion viewers.

The government, which invoked "emergency powers" under India's IT laws, said it had for the first time blocked 18 Indian YouTube channels, with previous actions focusing on accounts it has said operated from neighbouring Pakistan. "Multiple YouTube channels were used to post fake news on various subjects such as the Indian Armed Forces," the Indian government said in a statement.

In January, the information ministry used similar emergency powers to block 55 channels on GOOGL.O YouTube, and some Twitter and Facebook accounts.