YouTube has blocked access to at least two dozen Bangladeshi channels in India following a request from the Indian government. The reason given for this action is concerns related to ‘national security and public order.’
The blocked channels are varied, ranging from those run by news organizations to individual channels of journalists and political analysts.
The information comes from an updated report by Dismislab, a project of the research organization Digitally Right, which focuses on fact-checking. Dismislab initially reported on May 9 that four Bangladeshi TV channels were blocked in India. Later, information emerged about three more TV channels being blocked. The latest report from Dismislab confirms the blocking of at least two dozen Bangladeshi channels.
According to the Dismislab report, news channels blocked in India include Jamuna TV, Ekattor TV, DBC News, Somoy TV, BanglaVision News, Channel i, The Daily Inqilab, Daily Amar Desh, and Mohona TV. When attempting to access these channels from an Indian IP address, a message appears stating, ‘This content is currently not available in this country because of a government order related to national security or public order.’
Individual YouTube channels of journalists and political analysts such as Elias Hossain, Pinaki Bhattacharya, Kanak Sarwar, Zahed Ur Rahman, Sultana Rahman, Zulkarnain Saer Khan, Jacob Milton, Taj Hashmi, Enayet Chowdhury, Shahed Alam, and Boni Amin have also been blocked. Independent and information-based YouTube channels blocked in India include Face the People, Durbin News Daily, Ki Keno Kivabe, and Chine Bros. Dismislab verified the access to these channels from India using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on May 12.
YouTube operates in India under the ‘Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules.’ These rules allow the Indian government to order the blocking of any content or channel it considers a threat to national security, sovereignty, or public order.
The blocking of these channels comes in the context of recent tensions between India and Pakistan. Following an incident in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on May 6, India conducted what it called ‘Operation Sindoor’ against Pakistan, which was met with a retaliatory response from Pakistan. The two countries are currently observing a ceasefire. Amidst this tension, India has also blocked numerous Pakistani YouTube channels. The news of Bangladeshi channels being blocked in India began to emerge subsequently.
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