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Mobile farming using for increasing views, subscribers and related.


29-Mar-2026 (In Cyber Crime Law)
Hello Sir, I saw an Instagram video where police found a “mobile phone farm” using many smartphones to repeatedly play YouTube videos to increase views. Is running such a mobile farm illegal in India? If yes, under which law? Since the videos are played on real mobile devices like normal users, how do authorities or platforms determine that the views are artificial rather than genuine? Thank you.
Answers (2)

Answer #1
996 votes
Running a “mobile phone farm” to artificially inflate YouTube views is not per se defined as a specific offence under one single statute in India, but it can attract liability under multiple laws depending on intent and impact. Primarily, such activity may fall within the ambit of the Information Technology Act, 2000, especially: Section 43 & 66 (unauthorized access, manipulation of computer resources causing wrongful gain/loss), If deception is involved, it may also amount to cheating under Section 415/420 IPC. Further, it violates the platform’s terms of service (e.g., YouTube/Google policies), and can lead to account suspension, demonetization, or legal action for fraud, especially if used for monetary gain (ads, promotions, etc.).
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Advocate Madhvi Chopra

Adv. Madhvi Chopra

LawRato Delhi | 50+ Answers
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Answer #2
662 votes
Running a mobile phone farm only to increase YouTube views falls in a grey area in India but usually violates platform terms. However, if used for illegal content like pornography or fraud, it can attract liability under the IT Act, 2000
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Advocate Keshav Agarwal

Adv. Keshav Agarwal

LawRatoDelhi | 25+ Answers
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