78 YouTube news channels, 560 links blocked in 2021-2022: Centre

Seventy-eight YouTube-based news channels and 560 YouTube links were blocked for public access between 2021 and 2022 over violation of section 69A of Information Technology (IT) Act, Union information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Anurag Thakur informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Thakur made the disclosure in a written response to questions by Congress MP Manickan Tagore.

“The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued directions for blocking 78 YouTube based news channels and their social media accounts for public access during 2021 and 2022 for violation of Section 69A of Information Technology Act, 2000. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) has blocked 560 YouTube URLs during the years 2021 and 2022,” Thakur said.