The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has blocked seven India-based and one Pakistan-based YouTube news channel for “spreading disinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations and public order.” One Facebook account was also blocked, a statement by the Press Information Bureau read on Thursday.

The Centre, in its order issued on August 16, used its emergency powers under IT Rules, 2021, to block the channels, as the content was deemed to be “detrimental to sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, India’s friendly relations with foreign States, and public order in the country.”

The blocked YouTube channels have a cumulative viewership of over 114 crore, were subscribed by over 85 lakh users, the release read.

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The YouTube channels that are blocked: Loktantra Tv, U&V TV, AM Razvi, Gouravshali Pawan Mithilanchal, SeeTop5TH, Sarkari Update, Sab Kuch Dekh, and Pakistan-based News ki Dunya. The Facebook account of Loktantra Tv has also been blocked.

“The channel is not available in your country,” a response read on the channel of Loktantra TV on YouTube which has 1.29 million followers. However, old videos from the channel are still visible.

The ministry said that the purpose of content published by some of these YouTube channels was to spread hatred among religious communities in India, and made false claims, such as the “Government of India to have ordered demolition of religious structures; Government of India to have banned celebration of religious festivals, declaration of religious war in India,” among others. The channels also used to post fake news about the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir.

The content from the blocked channels had the “potential to create communal disharmony and disturb public order in the country,” it said.

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The channels used fake and sensational thumbnails, images of news anchors and logos of certain TV news channels to mislead the viewers to believe that the news was authentic.

Since December 2021, the ministry has issued directions to block 102 YouTube based news channels, and several other social media accounts.