Ruben Banerjee’s YouTube Channel Axed Without Warning—EGI Reacts Strongly
(Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
August 20, 2025 | New Delhi — The Editors Guild of India has expressed grave concern over the sudden and unexplained removal of the YouTube channel operated by senior journalist and Guild General Secretary, Mr. Ruben Banerjee. The channel, Mu Ruben Kahuchhi (“I am Ruben Speaking”), launched in September 2024, served as a vibrant Odia-language platform dedicated to public-interest journalism. It regularly featured stories on social welfare programs, educators’ concerns, women’s self-help initiatives, and the political landscape of Odisha. With over 33,000 organic subscribers, the channel had become a trusted source of grassroots reporting. In recent weeks, Mr. Banerjee had also begun offering incisive political commentary, further amplifying its reach and relevance.
On 4 August 2025 at 11:15 p.m., Mr. Banerjee received an electronic notification from YouTube stating that his channel had been removed for allegedly violating the platform’s “Circumvention Policy.” The action came abruptly—without any prior strike, warning, show-cause notice, or clarification of the specific content or conduct that constituted the alleged violation. By doing so, the platform denied him the fundamental opportunity to respond, effectively amounting to a denial of natural justice. Despite this, Mr. Banerjee promptly pursued multiple appeals, including a formal submission, challenging the decision. communication to YouTube’s Grievance Officer via his counsel, Advocate Apar Gupta, have been rejected without explanation, with YouTube citing only its terms of use and offering no transparency or detail.
Mr. Banerjee is a respected journalist, having previously served as Group Editor-in-Chief of Outlook, with earlier stints at The Indian Express, Al Jazeera, and Hindustan Times. The removal of his channel raises serious questions about freedom of expression, platform power, and the lack of clarity in digital governance.
As troubling as Mr. Banerjee’s case is, it reflects a broader and deeply concerning pattern. Just recently, acclaimed investigative journalist Ms. Poonam Agarwal—known for her rigorous reporting on electoral irregularities and human rights—had one of her videos taken down by YouTube without prior warning or a clear explanation. Similarly, in April, the 4PM News Network, helmed by journalist Mr. Sanjay Sharma, was abruptly blocked in India, raising further alarm over the opaque and arbitrary actions taken against independent media voices. government directive citing “national security” and “public order.” YouTube took the channel down without warning or explanation. Although the channel was eventually restored when the central government withdrew its blocking order in mid-May, this happened only after the network had approached the Supreme
Court. Such arbitrary actions highlight the dangers of opaque enforcement mechanisms that undermine press freedom in the digital space, and the sweeping control exercised by platforms that now function as near monopolies.
