The government blocks eight YouTube news channels, one Facebook account, and two Facebook posts
The Narendra Modi government has done well by blocking eight YouTube-based news channels, one Facebook account, and two Facebook posts. While seven blocked YouTube channels are Indian, one is run from Pakistan. The government has said it has proscribed the platforms spreading disinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations, and public order. A quick look at some of the posts, screenshots of which are in the official press release, suggests that they were indulging in something worse than fake news. Fake news can also be the result of a lazy reporter’s credulity, but some of the stories these folks have been posting were, to put it mildly, preposterous. Loktantra Tv, for instance, gave the ‘news’ that Modi has banned Bakr-eid celebrations. Also, a holy war has started in India and Shankaracharya Nishchalananda Saraswati will lead the attack on Mecca and Medina. Another YouTube channel U&V TV posted that Modi is facing treason charges. AM Razvi’s YouTube channel reported about not just disturbances in Ajmer Dargah but also that the Army had to be deployed. Gouravshali Pawan Mithilanchal, another YouTube channel, reported even more sensational and incredible: that India and Egypt have attacked Turkey. Pakistan’s News ki Dunya posted that 100 crore Hindus will kill 40 crore Muslims, and that Muslims should go to Pakistan or Bangladesh. Another post showed that India’s Qutub Minar mosque has been demolished. No journalist, however incompetent, would run such outlandish ‘news’ stories without checking several times the source and the authenticity of such ‘news.’
The government has correctly pointed out that the purpose of the content published by some of these YouTube channels was to spread hatred among religious communities in India. Free speech is a right that needs to be protected everywhere, but it is also constrained by the harm principle: that is, you cannot use freedom of expression to hurt others. The content mentioned in the press release is capable of causing a great deal of harm to people by creating disharmony in society, even triggering communal riots. The YouTubers should also learn a lesson from the government action. Social media platforms offer a lot of opportunities to non-journalists to present news and views; many of them have also gained in the process. However, they must remember that while Article 19 of the Constitution grants the freedom of speech and expression, it also imposes reasonable restrictions “in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.” There is another problem: if the users of social media platforms don’t behave themselves, it gives the authorities a pretext to come up with restrictive rules and regulations. It is time that irresponsible YouTube-based news channels, and even some mainstream media channels, didn’t abuse free speech.