Following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, India has launched a major crackdown by banning 16 Pakistani YouTube channels accused of spreading provocative, communally sensitive content and disinformation targeting India, its armed forces, and security agencies. Additionally, the YouTube channel of former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, which has over 3.5 million subscribers, has also been blocked.
The banned platforms, which collectively have around 63 million subscribers, include major Pakistani news channels such as Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. YouTube channels run by journalists like Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked for Indian users. Other banned channels include The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.
The decision was taken based on the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India, after it was found that these channels were sharing provocative and communally sensitive content and false and misleading narratives in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir.
