Fake news: PIB’s Fact Check Unit cracks down on 3 YouTube channels
These channels had nearly 33 lakh subscribers and over 30 crore views
In a series of over 40 fact-checks, the PIB Fact Check Unit (FCU) has busted three YouTube channels for spreading false information. 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.
PIB said the channels were spreading false and sensational claims about the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of India, government schemes, EVMs and farm loan waivers.
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.
