India blocks 16 Pakistani YouTube channels
• New Delhi objects to BBC’s coverage of Pahalgam attack
• Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team warns media, content creators against sharing sensitive info
KARACHI: The Indian government on Monday banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels belonging to media organisations, freelance journalists, content creators and sportspersons.
The channels were blocked by the Government of India on the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, The Hindu reported, while quoting a government official.
The channels blocked in India are: Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News, Bol News, SUNO News HD, Raftar, GNN, Irshad Bhatti, The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq and Raazi Nama.
The account of former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar’s channel was also banned.
Comedian and content creator Shehzad Ghias said his podcast channel ‘The Pakistan Experience’ was also banned by the Indian government.
According to Aditi Agarwal, an Indian journalist covering technology, it was unclear under which law the accounts were blocked.
No authority or official in Pakistan has commented on the matter so far.
Any person accessing these channels on YouTube from India sees a message reading they have been blocked due to an “order from the government related to national security or public order”.
Separately, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has objected to BBC’s coverage of the Pahalgam attack, according to The Hindu.
The ministry wrote a letter to Jackie Martin, BBC’s India head, for writing “militants” instead of “terrorists” in one of its reports about the Pahalgam attack.
However, a BBC spokesperson told The Hindu that the broadcaster reported the attack “accurately, impartially and responsibly”.
NCERT advisory
In the wake of escalating geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (N-CERT) has warned media and content creators against sharing sensitive national security information.
The advisory issued on Monday said there has been an “uptick in the circulation of videos, images, and commentary revealing troop movements, military deployments, and sensitive national security activities” on social media and public forums.
“ Such disclosures — whether inadvertent or intentional — may severely compromise national security, jeopardise operational effectiveness, and facilitate hostile actions by adversaries,“ said NCERT, responsible for the security of critical digital infrastructure.
The advisory added that disseminating sensitive material may result in a security breach by disclosing the locations and movements of troops.
It said the unauthorised sharing of mapping coordinates or terrain analysis may also allow hostile forces to “gather open-source intelligence” and assist them in “refining targeting, planning ambushes, or circumventing defences”.
The NCERT also warned that deepfake videos or false narratives “may spark unnecessary alarm or civil unrest”.
The agency recommended that media, freelance journalists and content creators not film or publish information that exposes troop movements, military installations, or logistical activities.
It advised social media users not to engage with or amplify unverified posts regarding military developments and report suspected disinformation and deepfakes.
A day ago, NCERT issued a separate advisory for “heightened vigilance and immediate cybersecurity precautions”.
It warned of a serious risk of state-sponsored cyberattacks targeting government agencies, critical infrastructure, defence, media, finance and individuals within Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025