Govt Moves to Block 27 YouTube Channels Over “False Information”

The Government of Pakistan is taking steps to block 27 YouTube channels. This decision comes after the Islamabad Cyber Crime Circle submitted a request to the Honourable Court of Judicial Magistrate Islamabad.

The official letter explains that these YouTube channels are accused of spreading fake and misleading information. According to the Cyber Crime Circle, these channels share content that could create fear, panic, or unrest in society. The inquiry claims that many of these videos include defamatory or false remarks about state institutions and officials.

Govt Moves to Block 27 YouTube Channels Over “False Information”

Some well-known journalists and YouTubers are on the list. Names include:

• Siddique Jaan
• Aftab Iqbal
• Matiullah Jan
• Habib Akram
• Imran Riaz Khan
• Sabir Shakir
• Abdul Qadir
• Asad Toor
• Ahmad Noorani
• Moeed Pirzada
• Wajahat Saeed Khan

In total, 27 channels are listed. These channels cover political talk shows, commentary, and current affairs.

Why the Ban?

The Cyber Crime Circle claims these channels promote false, misleading, and provocative content. They say this harms the dignity of state institutions and could disturb public order. They believe the videos spread hate and create negative feelings towards the government and military.

The letter requests permission to block these channels under Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. This law deals with removing or blocking unlawful online content in Pakistan.

See Also: Pakistan Approves Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority to Oversee Cryptocurrency and Digital Finance

What Happens Next?

The Cyber Crime Circle has asked the court to issue a legal order for Google LLC (which owns YouTube) to block these channels. The request was signed by a Sub-Inspector at the Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad.

This move shows the government’s ongoing efforts to control what it calls “fake news” and misinformation online. Critics, however, say such bans limit freedom of speech and the press.

We will see if Google will act on this request and how the public and media community will respond.

For now, the story highlights the growing tension between state institutions and digital media voices in Pakistan.