ALBAWABA- In response to the closure of their promotional channels and accounts, the Houthi armed group is to ban YouTube and Facebook in Yemen, a move that could further isolate areas under their control.
Last July, YouTube closed 18 Houthi-affiliated channels broadcasting military and ideological propaganda aligned with Iran, followed by additional closures.
According to Houthi statistics, YouTube has removed a total of 70 Houthi-affiliated channels, including media institutions, military outlets, and Yemeni media channels.
The Houthis have extensively called for the ban of both platforms as part of their mobilization and electronic campaigns, backed by Houthi officials and activists.
A Houthi minister of information urged participation in a Twitter campaign to pressure the platforms until they lift restrictions and restore Yemeni channels. He accused YouTube and Facebook of targeting content opposing "Zionist-American policies" and called on the Ministry of Communications, under Houthi control, to review their licensing in Yemen.
Since taking over Sana'a, the Houthis have heavily relied on social media to disseminate propaganda on war, politics, and ideology, while tightening control over publishing and suppressing opposition voices.
The call for banning the platforms is viewed as a step towards censorship and isolating Yemen from the entire world.
