Centre asks YouTube to block National Dastak channel, another one gets notice
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New Delhi: A notice sent by YouTube to news platform National Dastak said that the Union government has directed it to block the channel, The Wire reported.
The social media platform has reportedly sent a similar notice to another channel, Article 19 India.
The notice comes days after another Hindi news platform on YouTube ‘ Bolta Hindustan’ having 3 lakh subscribers was suspended by the government.
Meanwhile , National Dastak and Article 19 India have not been suspended yet, nevertheless notices are reportedly issued to them.
Active since 2015, National Dastak with 9.41 million subscribers has been edited by Shambhu Kumar Singh.
The channel calls itself a platform for the “strong voices of those belonging to the Dalit and tribal communities, the backward classes, women, farmers, minorities and the exploited.”
The channel posted an image of the legal notice on X alongside saying ‘The government wants to shut down National Dastak. YouTube sent a notice on April 3’.
The channel further said this is happening even as the Model Code of Conduct is in force.
The outlet in its post in Hindi wondered while lakhs of newspapers and TV news channels are working and yet there is so much fear about National Dastak.
Article 19 with 2.8 million subscribers run by journalist Navin Kumar reportedly received a similar notice.
The basis for the government’s action against the channel is Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, according to the notice issued by YouTube’s legal cell.
