New Delhi: At least six YouTube channels allegedly promoting pro-Khalistan sentiments have been ‘blocked’ within 48 hours of the Centre’s request. A senior official gave this information on Friday. Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apoorva Chandra said that six to eight YouTube channels being operated from abroad have been ‘blocked’ in the last 10 days. He said that these channels, which broadcast content in Punjabi language, were trying to create trouble in the border state.
This action has been taken in the wake of recent attack on a police station in Ajnala, Punjab by supporters of Jathedar Amritpal Singh of pro-Khalistan organization ‘Waris Punjab De’. Singh’s supporters were armed and were demanding the release of one of their comrades.
Another official said that YouTube is taking action within 48 hours on the government’s request to ‘block’ the channel.
He informed that the government has urged YouTube to use artificial intelligence and mathematical methods to automatically identify and ‘block’ objectionable content.
However, YouTube is facing problems in the Indian context as the content is being ‘uploaded’ in regional languages and the system put in place to check the content is based on the English language.
