Last updated on November 13th, 2024 at 01:29 pm
The PIB Fact Check Unit (FCU) busted three YouTube channels that were spreading false information in India in a series of over 40 fact-checks.
Almost all of the videos on these YouTube channels, which had nearly 33 lakh subscribers, were found to be false but were still watched over 30 crore times.
This is the first time that PIB has exposed entire YouTube channels against individual posts on social media spreading false claims. The details of the YouTube channels fact-checked by PIB are as follows:
| Sl. No. | Name of YouTube Channel | Subscribers | Views |
| 1. | News Headlines | 9.67 lakh | 31,75,32,290 |
| 2. | Sarkari Update | 22.6 lakh | 8,83,594 |
| 3. | आज तक LIVE | 65.6 thousand | 1,25,04,177 |
These youtube channels spread false and sensational claims about the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Government Schemes, Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), farm loan waivers, etc.
Examples include fake news such as the Supreme Court ruling that future elections will be conducted by ballot; The government giving money to those who have bank accounts, Aadhaar cards, and PAN cards; Ban on EVM, etc.
YouTube channels were seen using fake and sensationalized thumbnails with logos of TV channels and images of their news anchors to trick viewers into believing that the news was authentic. These channels were showing ads on their videos and monetizing misinformation on YouTube.
The PIB Fact Check Unit has taken this action after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting blocked more than one hundred YouTube channels in the last year.
