Govt. of India strikes den of misinformation on YouTube

Posted On: 20 DEC 2022 12:02PM by PIB Delhi

Fact Check Unit at PIB exposes three YouTube channels spreading fake news

*Fake videos about Supreme Court of India, Chief Justice of India, and Prime Minister of India with lakhs of views busted by PIB Fact Check Unit

*Misinformation on Election Commission of India, Electronic Voting Machines

*YouTube channels fact-checked by PIB had nearly 33 lakh subscribers, over 30 crore views

New Delhi: 20th December 2022: (PIB Delhi//The Media Screen)::

In a series of over 40 fact-checks, the PIB Fact Check Unit (FCU) busted three YouTube channels which were 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.

This is the first time when PIB has exposed entire YouTube channels as against individual posts on social media spreading false claims. Details of the YouTube channels fact-checked by PIB  are as under:

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, Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Government schemes, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), farm loan waivers, etc. among other fake news. Examples include fake news such as the Supreme Court to have ruled that future elections would be conducted by ballot papers; Government giving money to people who have bank accounts, Aadhar Cards and PAN cards; ban on EVMs, etc.

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 to believe that the news was authentic. These channels were also found to be displaying advertisements on their videos, and monetizing misinformation on YouTube.

Action taken by PIB Fact Check Unit follows blocking of over one hundred YouTube channels by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the past one year.

Screenshots are given in the image attched with this news item

Second Episode of Voter Awareness Program, "Matadata Junction"

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting//14-October, 2022 10:05 IST

Matadata Junction to be broadcast on Friday, October 14

Broadcast by All India Radio during 7.25-7.40 pm on 100.1 FM Gold Channel

Courtesy Photo

New Delhi: 14th October 2022: (MIB//The Media Screen)::

Voting is a great power as well as a great weapon, in front of it everything else remains grounded. It is also the biggest need of today's time to bring the identity of this power to every house. Voter Junction has been created for this purpose only. this special broadcast is planed for every corner of the country.

Theme-The Power of One Vote- Ek Vote ki Taqat Matadata Junction program is being broadcast in 23 languages across the country. AIR collaborates with the Election Commission of India for broadcast of 52 Episodes of 15 minutes each on FM Gold, FM Rainbow, Vividh Bharati stations and Primary channels of AIR

All India Radio in collaboration with the Election Commission of India has started a new weekly program ‘Matadata Junction’ on Voter Awareness. Second Episode of the Program, "Matadata Junction" will be broadcast on Friday, October 14 on 100.1 FM GOLD Channel during 7.25-7.40pm in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad. The theme is the Power of One Vote or Ek Vote ki Taqat.

The 15 minutes weekly program goes on air every Friday in 23 languages across the country including Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili & Dogri.

It will be broadcast between 7-9pm time band on FM Rainbow, Vividh Bharati stations and Primary channels of AIR across the country. Citizens can also listen to the Program on ‘Twitter on @airnewsalerts, News On AIR’ App and YouTube channels of All India Radio.

The weekly program covers all aspects of Voter ecosystem. Each episode is based on a particular Theme on the electoral process. All the 52 Themes are aimed at encouraging all eligible citizens and especially the young and first-time voters to vote and make an informed decision during the elections. Quiz, Experts' interview, and Songs produced by the SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) Team of the ECI shall be carried in every episode. The program includes a Citizen's Corner where any citizen can ask a query or suggest on any aspects of the voting.

****  Saurabh Singh