E-Paper
PIB fact check unit exposes 3 Youtube channels for spreading ‘fake news’
PIB found that a YouTube channel namely ‘News Headlines’, with almost 10 lakh subscribers and 32 crore views, was spreading misinformation regarding the PM, SC, CJI, and the EC
The fact-checking wing of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), government of India, has pulled up that three YouTube channels having over 30 crore views and 33 lakh subscribers for allegedly propagating misinformation regarding the Supreme Court of India (SC), the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Prime Minister Modi, and the election commission of India (EC).
PIB found that a YouTube channel namely ‘News Headlines’, with almost 10 lakh subscribers and over 32 crore views, was spreading misinformation regarding the PM, SC, CJI, and the EC.
Also Read: Bihar labourer gets income tax notice asking to pay ₹14 crore in returns
“In a series of over 40 fact-checks, the PIB fact check unit (FCU) busted three YouTube channels for spreading false information in India. These YouTube channels had nearly 33 lakh subscribers, and their videos, almost all of which were found to be false, were watched over 30 crore times,” said a press note by the PIB released on Tuesday.
The move comes as the latest step against misinformation by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry after it blocked over one hundred YouTube channels in the past year.
In April of this year, the ministry, through its emergency powers under the IT Rules 2021, blocked 22 YouTube-based news channels, three Twitter accounts, one news website, and a Facebook account.
According to the fact-checking unit, News Headlines had on May 6, 2021, uploaded a video titled, ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation, Nitin Gadkari gets the command’. The video garnered over four million views.
PIB termed this video as a blatant falsehood. A similar claim was made on May 16, 2021, alleging that the Prime Minister resigned and President’s rule was imposed in the country.
Regarding the CJI, News Headlines posted a video on March 18, 2022, as the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections were underway, claiming, ‘CJI’s hammer struck on Yogi and Modi, the election will be done through ballot paper, a shock to Modi..!!’. The PIB dismissed these claims as misleading.
In another video uploaded on September 22, 2021, the YouTube channel posted videos noting that the CJI undertook strong action against PM Modi, declaring him guilty. A similar claim was circulated through a video posted on August 17, 2021, claiming ‘strong action against the PM due to his confrontation with the SC’. The PIB dismissed both these claims as false.
Several videos uploaded in 2021 claimed that the CJI had declared the Indian PM as being guilty of “sedition.” Along with this, the channel also alleged that the CJI would be taking action against the ECI by prohibiting electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the election. The fact-checking wing termed these claims as “outrightly false.”
Also Read:LS passes bill to give tribal status to Betta-Kuruba community in Karnataka
In addition to News Headlines, two other channels, namely ‘Sarkari Update’ with 22.6 lakh subscribers and ‘आज तक LIVE’ having 65.6 thousand subscribers with a collective 1.3 crore views, have also been highlighted by the PIB for spreading misinformation. It also clarified that the channel is not in any manner associated with the Indian Today group or the AAJ Tak channel.
Apart from notable figures in the judiciary and government, the channels were pulled by PIB for spreading misinformation about several government schemes, Aadhar Cards, PAN cards, and farm loan waivers.
“The YouTube channels were observed to be using fake and sensational thumbnails with logos of TV channels and images of their news anchors to mislead the viewers into believing that the news was authentic. These channels were also found to be displaying advertisements on their videos and monetizing misinformation,” said PIB in a press note.
