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
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Man killed in flat ceiling plaster crash, wife and son hurt
Thane (PTI): A 45-year-old man was killed, and his wife and son were injured when a portion of plaster from the ceiling collapsed in their flat in a seven-storey building in Thane on Saturday, officials said.
Chief of the Regional Disaster Management Cell, Yasin Tadvi, said the 16-year-old building is not listed in the "dangerous" category.
"The incident occurred in Karumdev Society at about 3 am. The plaster of the hall in a flat on the terrace floor suddenly fell while the occupants were asleep", he said.
Of the four people who were inside the room, two suffered minor injuries and were discharged after primary treatment, Tadvi stated.
The injured persons were identified as Arpita More (42), who suffered minor head injuries, and her son Arush More (16), who sustained injuries to both legs.
Manoj More (45), who sustained chest injuries, died during treatment at a private hospital.
