The Central government has informed the Delhi High Court that the YouTube channel of digital news platform 4PM was blocked for allegedly spreading conspiracy theories and promoting narratives that undermine India’s sovereignty. According to the government, the channel falsely suggested involvement of Indian authorities in the Pahalgam terror attack and functioned as part of a digital lobbying mechanism aimed at influencing India’s sovereign decision-making in favor of foreign actors.
In an affidavit submitted before the Court, the government stated that 4PM’s content questioned the authenticity of India’s military response to the Pahalgam attack, amplified Pakistani propaganda, and incited communal sentiments, particularly in sensitive regions such as Kashmir and Manipur. It further alleged that the channel consistently published material reflecting an “anti-India, anti-Indian Armed Forces, and anti-Indian foreign policy” stance across topics and formats.
The affidavit also claimed that videos on the platform made serious allegations against the Union of India, including compromising strategic autonomy, acting under foreign influence in military matters, having prior knowledge of military developments in West Asia, and allowing foreign policy decisions to be shaped by communal considerations in conflict-affected regions.
The government filed its response after 4PM and its editor-in-chief, Sanjay Sharma, approached the High Court challenging the blocking of their YouTube channel in India. The petitioners argued that the channel, which reportedly had over 8.4 million subscribers and had been highly ranked for the past three years, was blocked in March 2026 along with 26 of its videos.
They further contended that the action was taken by Google following a legal request from the government, but neither Google nor the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology provided them with a formal blocking order or reasons for the decision.
The matter is scheduled to be heard next on Wednesday by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav.