YouTuber Mohak Mangal alleges extortion by news agency ANI over copyright strikes
New Delhi: Popular YouTuber and policy educator Mohak Mangal has alleged that leading news agency Asian News International (ANI) is engaging in a systematic pattern of extortion under the guise of copyright enforcement. In a video titled "Dear ANI", Mangal details how ANI issued multiple copyright strikes on his YouTube channel and then allegedly demanded a payment of ₹45-50 lakh to revoke the strikes and avoid channel deletion.
Mangal recounted that the issue began when ANI sent a copyright strike over a video he made on the Kolkata rape case, citing the use of just 11 seconds of ANI’s footage in a 16-minute video. This was followed by a second strike for his 38-minute video on Operation Sindoor, in which 9 seconds of footage featuring Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had been used. According to YouTube policy, three copyright strikes can result in immediate channel termination.
Mangal’s team reached out to ANI to understand how to resolve the matter. In recorded conversations and emails shared in his video, ANI employees allegedly demanded ₹45 lakh plus GST to remove the strikes and grant a two-year subscription to ANI’s footage. When asked about the breakdown of the amount, the ANI representative reportedly explained that the penalty for each copyright strike was ₹5 lakh, adding up to ₹40 lakh for eight videos, alongside an optional annual subscription fee.
“If you want it for a year, pay 30 lakhs. If you want it for 2 years, pay 40 lakhs,” the ANI official was quoted as saying, adding, “We are a different mode, we don’t claim revenue. We put the strike.” The official also reportedly remarked, “I like Mohak’s channel, that’s why I’m talking to you,” positioning the deal as a goodwill gesture.
Mangal called the move “extortion,” alleging that ANI has used similar tactics on several creators across ideological lines, citing cases where others were asked to pay between ₹15 to ₹22 lakh and a recent instance of a creator allegedly paying ₹50 lakh for a one-year reprieve. “This is not a copyright claim, this is a hostage negotiation,” Mangal said in his video. “ANI thought I would beg. I won’t bow down.”
ANI, as a newswire service, licenses footage to media houses and organizations. However, Mangal argues that the use of short clips for commentary should fall under “fair use,” a concept that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, and education.
In response to the alleged extortion, Mangal has taken the matter to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. In an email sent to Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and I&B Secretary Sanjay Jaju, he wrote, “They are using it as a threat to extort money from me. They have asked for ₹48L+GST to restore my channel.” He emphasized the broader implications for India’s digital content economy, warning that such tactics, if left unchecked, could threaten the growth of India’s online creator ecosystem.
“Indian creators are ‘digital ambassadors of India representing it on the global stage,’” Mangal quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi from a 2024 creator summit. “This movement will not grow if creators are threatened and extorted for money.”
Mangal has urged fellow creators to document and report similar experiences, and has requested that viewers share the video and contact the Ministry with evidence if they too have faced such threats.
As of now, ANI has not issued a public statement in response to these allegations.
Several Youtubers including Dhruv Rathee, Nitish Rajput, Kunal Kamra and others also came out in support of Mangal.
“Full support to you, it seems like ANI is running an extortion racket. All creators need to unite against this,” wrote Dhruv Rathee commenting on the video.
Popular Youtuber Mahesh Keshwala, a.k.a, highlighted, “Thanks for making this video! Even i got a strike and got asked for 15 lakhs in the name of subscription! FOR USING A 2 SECOND CLIP!”
Fact-checker and journalist Mohammed Zubair also amplified the issue on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “Here’s how South Asia’s Leading Multimedia News Agency and Pro-BJP Propaganda Agency @ANI is squeezing several Youtubers for money while YouTube holds a sword on their content. @YouTubeIndia's copyright policy hands @ANI disproportionate power, enabling them to strong-arm creators into licensing deals ranging from ₹15-40 lakh... Several Youtubers have reached out to me with similar complaints."
Zubair tagged YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, calling for greater accountability.
Here's how South Asia's Leading Multimedia News Agency and Pro-BJP Propaganda Agency @ANI is squeezing several Youtubers for money while YouTube holds a sword on their content. @YouTubeIndia's copyright policy hands @ANI disproportionate power, enabling them to strong-arm… pic.twitter.com/Cw7uZImgtu
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 25, 2025
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US pauses visa processing for individuals from 75 countries
New York/Washington (PTI): The Trump administration on Wednesday announced pausing immigrant visa processing for individuals from 75 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Russia, as part of increasing crackdown on foreigners likely to rely on public benefits in the US.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the State Department said in a post on X.
“The Trump administration will PAUSE immigrant visa processing from 75 countries until the US can ensure that incoming immigrants will not become a public charge or extract wealth from American taxpayers. AMERICA FIRST,” the White House said in a post on X.
“The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people. The pause impacts dozens of countries – including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea – whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival. We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused," the State Department said.
"The Trump Administration will always put America First," the State Department added.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement, "The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people."
A report in the Fox News said that the pause will begin from January 21.
The State Department memo, seen first by Fox News Digital, directs “consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures”.
The list of countries include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
The Fox News report added that in November 2025, a State Department cable sent to missions around the globe instructed consular officers to “enforce sweeping new screening rules under the so-called "public charge" provision of immigration law.
The guidance had instructed US consular officers across the world to deem those individuals seeking to enter and live in the US ineligible if they have certain medical conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, saying these people could end up relying on public benefits.
The foreigners applying for visas to live in the US “might be rejected if they have certain medical conditions”. “You must consider an applicant’s health…Certain medical conditions – including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions – can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care,” the cable had said.
The cable also advised visa officers to consider conditions like obesity in making their decisions, noting that the condition can cause asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.
The guidance directed "visa officers to deem applicants ineligible to enter the US for several new reasons, including age or the likelihood they might rely on public benefits.
The guidance says that such people could become a “public charge” — "a potential drain on US resources — because of their health issues or age”.
The report added that older or overweight applicants could be denied, along with those who had any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalisation.
