Uncovering India’s Fake News: 9 YouTube Channels to Watch Out For!
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Press Information Bureau’s fact check unit has exposed nine YouTube channels in India for disseminating false news and misinformation. The ministry stated that the PIB Fact Check Unit (FCU) has discredited these channels by publishing numerous fact-checks in separate Twitter threads. The channels have a subscriber base ranging from 11,700 to 34.70 lakh.
List of YouTube channels spreading fake news and misinformation in India
These nine YouTube channels identified by PIB’s fact-checking unit are:
“Bharat Ekta News”,
“Bajrang Education”,
“Bj News”,
“Sansani Live TV”,
“GVT News”,
“Daily Research”,
“Ab Bolega Bharat”,
“Sarkari Yojana Official”
“Monkey Guruji”
This is evident from the list published by the Ministry.
These YouTube channels “improperly shared” derogatory statements against persons holding constitutional positions, including the Supreme Court of India, the Prime Minister and the Election Commissioner,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Some channels falsely claimed President’s rule in certain states, ban on electronic voting machines, resignation/death of Union ministers etc,” the ministry said.
Some of them demanded the banning of ₹200 and ₹500 currency notes, the closure of banks and misinformation about the plans and policies of the Indian government, the ministry said.
False claims related to natural disasters and deaths of Indian citizens, deployment of armed forces, closure of schools, etc. were also made by some of the nine YouTube channels taken down by PIB’s fact-checking unit, the ministry said.
“The YouTube channels in question were found to have more than 83 million subscribers (in total),” it added.
According to the ministry, the commercialization of fake news on YouTube is a “serious concern”.
Fake news channels drive traffic and monetize their content using “clickbait, sensational fake thumbnails”, it said, adding that “the government of India has previously raised concerns about the monetization of fake news on YouTube”.
Since December 2022, the PIB has uncovered 26 such YouTube channels that regularly post false information, the ministry said.
“Furthermore, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has blocked more than 120 YouTube channels under The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) 2021,” it added.
