YouTube India employees interfere in Lok Sabha elections, intelligence agencies investigate them for shadow banning nationalist content
03 Jun 2024 17:45:24
With India anticipating Modi's third victory in Lok Sabha Elections on June 4, a recent expose reveals that several YouTubers are experiencing shadow bans and demonetisation, restricting their content from reaching viewers. Notably, these YouTube content creators have reported a landslide victory for the BJP and a significant defeat for Congress under Rahul Gandhi.
These creators have demanded action against what they perceive as partial treatment by YouTube India and relevant ministries, but their appeals have gone unanswered. Prominent voices among them include senior journalist Ajeet Bharti, Editor of The New Indian Rohan Dua, TV journalist Sushant Sinha, Jaipur Dialogues, and YouTube creators AKTK and Ankur Arya, among others.
He added that these employees include five females and twelve males from Mumbai, Kerala, and West Bengal. They are suspected of altering the YouTube algorithm, imposing indiscriminate and arbitrary bans on 93 journalists and 42 channels that reported neutrally on the BJP during this election.
Dua mentioned that his channel is also facing similar shadow bans. Evidence of this is being shared with the Delhi High Court and police, with the help of lawyers, to expose this corruption and deep-rooted criminal nexus under IPC Sections 120B and IT 2021. If investigated, this could be a clear case of criminal conspiracy under IPC Sections 127A, 120B, and 171B/R bribery charges.
These creators have demanded action against what they perceive as partial treatment by YouTube India and relevant ministries, but their appeals have gone unanswered. Prominent voices among them include senior journalist Ajeet Bharti, Editor of The New Indian Rohan Dua, TV journalist Sushant Sinha, Jaipur Dialogues, and YouTube creators AKTK and Ankur Arya, among others.
Highlighting the nexus affecting the free press on YouTube, Rohan Dua wrote on X, “I’m hearing India’s intelligence agencies have been supplied with recorded conversations of 17 @YouTubeIndia employees in India who explicitly wrote & spoke instructions on how to shadow ban any neutral coverage & promote anti-@narendramodi trash. It’s a criminal offence to influence polls & I have been told investigations have begun.”
He added that these employees include five females and twelve males from Mumbai, Kerala, and West Bengal. They are suspected of altering the YouTube algorithm, imposing indiscriminate and arbitrary bans on 93 journalists and 42 channels that reported neutrally on the BJP during this election.
Dua mentioned that his channel is also facing similar shadow bans. Evidence of this is being shared with the Delhi High Court and police, with the help of lawyers, to expose this corruption and deep-rooted criminal nexus under IPC Sections 120B and IT 2021. If investigated, this could be a clear case of criminal conspiracy under IPC Sections 127A, 120B, and 171B/R bribery charges.