New Delhi scrutinizes influencers as Pakistan tensions escalate
An Indian parliamentary committee has voiced concerns about the potential misuse of social media platforms by influencers, alleging that they are working against the national interest as tensions escalate with neighboring Pakistan.
According to a government notification, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has asked ministries to provide details on “contemplated action” to ban such social media platforms under India's IT regulatory framework. The panel has set a deadline of May 8 for the ministries to submit the information, the statement said.
The concerns mainly stem from a series of critical posts on X and Instagram, as well as YouTube videos from Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
On May 1, the social media accounts of dozens of Pakistani actors, athletes, and news outlets were blocked in India.
As of the end of April, the Indian government had blocked 16 YouTube channels, including those of prominent Pakistani media outlets such as Geo News, Dawn, Raftar, Bol News, ARY News, and Samaa TV.
The reason for the measures was the alleged spread of sensitive information following the Jammu and Kashmir attack, as well as the promotion of what the authorities deemed to be false and misleading narratives about India, its armed forces, and security agencies.
Pakistani celebrities who are popular in India have also faced restrictions. Several, including actress Mahira Khan and singer-actor Ali Zafar, who has appeared in multiple Bollywood films, have had their Instagram accounts blocked.
As reported by the Hindustan Times, around a dozen Pakistani actors have been impacted by the ban, which has limited their online presence in India. India has a total of 500 million Instagram and 531 million WhatsApp users, according to reports. Pakistani authorities have not commented on the bans.
