Fake News

101 social media accounts face action for misinformation on Maha Kumbh

Legal action has been initiated against 101 social media accounts in 10 cases for allegedly spreading misleading information related to the Maha Kumbh and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Police said on Wednesday. The action followed directives from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to curb fake news and misinformation regarding the mega event. According to Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar, a comprehensive cyber patrolling strategy was implemented to monitor and counter the spread of misleading content. Under this initiative, Uttar Pradesh Police and expert agencies have been continuously tracking social media platforms for fake posts, rumours, and cyber offences related to the Maha Kumbh. On Wednesday, it was found that certain accounts falsely linked a video from Pakistan's Karak district to the Maha Kumbh stampede in Prayagraj. The video was accompanied by a song titled "Ye Prayagraj Hai", with a claim that "even serving one's parents won't cleanse sins, but h

Manipur govt asks people to stay calm, not to fall prey to misinformation

The Manipur government on Tuesday urged people to stay calm and not to fall prey to unverified news, rumours or misinformation that may cause unnecessary panic or disrupt peace and harmony in the state. The appeal was made amid a leadership crisis following the resignation of N Biren Singh from the post of chief minister on February 9. "It has also come to the notice of the government that certain unscrupulous individuals and groups may deliberately attempt to incite unrest, disrupt harmony and spread fear among the public using false information, inflammatory content or fabricated narratives," a statement issued by Chief Secretary P K Singh said. "Such attempts are intended to create lawlessness, and the public is strongly advised not to give heed to such misinformation or incitement," it added. To ensure that people receive accurate information, the government has set up a control room, where citizens can verify any news or information they come across. The control room can be ..

Meta abandoning fact-checking not good for fight against misinformation

In a video, the company's chief, Mark Zuckerberg, said fact checking had led to 'too much censorship' and added 'to get back to our roots around free expression'

Disinformation, fake news powerful enough to disrupt society: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said disinformation, misinformation, mal-information, and fake news have such power that they are always ready to tear the social fabric with the use of the latest technology. He also underlined that divisive forces are still active in the country, Delivering the '37th Intelligence Bureau Centenary Endowment Lecture', Shah said a country where social unity does not exist cannot progress in any meaningful way. Responsibility for addressing these challenges and preparing the entire police force to tackle them now lies with the country's information warriors, he said. He said that by identifying and eliminating threats promptly, the intelligence ecosystem helps maintain trust and stability within society. He said if challenges such as Naxalism, terrorism, organised crime, divisive forces, communalism, narcotics, and antisocial elements are to be fully controlled, ensuring the security of society is of paramount importance. Shah said there was

RBI cautions on deepfake videos of governor giving financial advice

"These videos attempt to advise people to invest their money in such schemes using technological tools," the central bank said in a statement

Need accountability in digital media to combat fake news: Vaishnaw

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Railways, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday chaired the National Press Day celebrations at the National Media Centre virtually, a press release said.The event was also graced by the presence of Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr L. Murugan, Chairperson of the Press Council of India, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and veteran journalist, Kundan Ramanlal Vyas.According to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Vaishnaw while addressing the gathering virtually highlighted India's vibrant and diverse media ecosystem, which includes 35,000 registered newspapers, numerous news channels, and a robust digital infrastructure. The Minister noted that investments in 4G and 5G networks have propelled India to the forefront of digital connectivity with the lowest data prices globally.However,

Parl panel to hear views of media bodies on mechanism to curb fake news

A parliamentary committee headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has called media bodies -- News Broadcasters and Digital Association and Editors Guild of India -- to depose before it on the issue of curbing "fake news". An official statement said the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology will meet on November 21 on the subject of "Review of mechanism to curb fake news". The panel will hear the views of the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) and Editors Guild of India (EGI), it said. The committee had earlier decided to review the mechanism to curb fake news as well as the issues related to the emergence of OTT platforms. With cryptocurrency making its presence felt in India, the committee will also examine the emergence of new forms of currencies and their impact. The panel has selected the impact of the emergence of Artificial Intelligence and related issues as one of its subjects. It is mandated to examine the functioning of the ministries of

Ratan Tata death: Times when ex-Tata chairman debunked fake news about him

Ratan Tata, the chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, passed away in Mumbai on October 9. Throughout his remarkable social media presence, he actively debunked false news about himself

EC reviews poll preparedness in Maharashtra, seeks action against fake news

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Saturday ordered a crackdown on fake news on social media in Maharashtra, where assembly elections are due later this year, sources said. Reviewing the poll preparedness in Maharashtra along with fellow Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, Kumar also directed state police officers to speed up investigation in electoral offences filed in the state during the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. The Election Commission, which is in Mumbai to review poll preparedness in Maharashtra, met district electoral officers (DEOs), superintendents of police, municipal commissioners, divisional commissioners and other senior officials of the state government. Taking a strong view, the CEC made it clear that the game of fake news on social media will not be allowed to prevail and directed officials to ensure swift response and action against the menace. The CEC reviewed the Assured Minimum Facilities at all polling stations and ..

One person's fact, another's fake news: Media must improve verification too

It will benefit the media to make the standards of fact-checking more rigorous, with information being verified by at least two independent sources

Man smashing Vande Bharat window sparks outrage, but what's the truth?

A video that went viral on social media shows a man breaking Vande Bharat's window glass with a hammer. Several X users demanded strict action against the person

B'deshi journo, woman booked for spreading fake news against Sonia, Rahul

An FIR has been registered by the Bengaluru Police against a Bangladeshi journalist and a woman staffer of an Indian news portal for allegedly spreading fake news and misinformation about Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, both senior Congress leaders. The case was registered at the High Grounds police station against the journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhaury and Aditi - working with the news portal, for sharing his claims on its social media handle, they said. According to the complainant Srinivas G, associated with the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), the Bangladeshi journalist allegedly shared a post on his X handle linking Sonia Gandhi to a foreign spy agency. He alleged Choudhary did so with an intention to malign the public image of the Gandhi family and that the journalist had shared such a post to create enmity between two religions. Srinivas charged Choudhury with having made certain claims about Rahul Gandhi. "B

Merely stating facts not enough to overcome misinformation: Study

Refutational approaches are more effective in combating science misinformation rather than just stating facts, according to a study. Researchers found that among 152 college students exposed to misinformation, those who read an article purely carrying facts retained more misconceptions than those who read an article with a refutation. The findings are published in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching. "Refutational approaches seem to work really well. While it's always best to get out in front as a teacher or communicator, students have smartphones. They're going to run into misinformation quickly. If we take this refutational approach, we're more likely to overcome misinformation," lead author Robert Danielson, a Washington State University educational psychology researcher, said. For the study, the researchers first tested what the student participants knew about putting fluoride in water. The students then read two articles: one with false information saying that ...

CM's fake audio clip being spread to derail peace process: Manipur govt

The Manipur government said a "doctored audio clip" of Chief Minister N Biren Singh is being circulated on social media platforms to incite communal violence and derail the peace process in the state. A press release issued by Manipur government's Directorate of Information and Public Relations on Monday night appealed to general public to not rely on such unfounded contents circulating in social media and news reports and also to refrain from involvement in spreading such false and fabricated information through any media. It warned that people shall be prosecuted under relevant provisions of laws if found involved in spreading such unfounded and baseless content or posting and sharing of such content. An FIR has been registered in the Cyber police station on the doctored audio clip claiming to be that of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh which is being circulated on social media platforms, the release said, adding that investigation is underway. The release said the Manipur ..

Multiple cases registered against Mahant Ramgiri after controversial remark

Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, during a recently held religious event, allegdely made derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed, which created tension between the two communities

Meta ignores pleas, kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle

Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms has shut down CrowdTangle, a tool widely used by researchers, watchdog organisations and journalists to monitor social media posts, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company's platforms. Wednesday's shutdown, which Meta announced earlier this year, has been protested by researchers and nonprofits. In May, dozens of groups, including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch and NYU's Center for Social Media & Politics, sent a letter to the company asking that it keep the tool running through at least January so it would be available through the US presidential elections. This decision jeopardizes essential pre- and post-election oversight mechanisms and undermines Meta's transparency efforts during this critical period, and at a time when social trust and digital democracy are alarmingly fragile, the letter said. CrowdTangle, has been an ...

Only Centre can validate facts related to it, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

The Centre is best suited to determine whether a particular fact related to it is correct or wrong, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday while making the government's stand clear on the PIB's Fact Check Unit. He was replying to a supplementary query during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha related to the Supreme Court's stay on the Centre's notification on setting up a fact-checking unit. "The amendment in the IT Intermediary Rules which has been stayed by the Supreme Court, that is still under contest but the fundamental principle is, our point is, anything related to the government of India, only the government can say whether it is a correct fact or a wrong fact. That is our stand," Vaishnaw, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, said. The Supreme Court in March this year stayed the Centre's notification on setting up a fact-checking unit under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to identify fake news about the Union government. The Fact Check Unit was ...

Global audiences suspicious of AI-powered newsrooms, misinformation

Newsrooms globally are working to address a new challenge with generative artificial intelligence, as tech giants and startups like Google, OpenAI build tools that can offer summaries of information

OpenAI launches tool to detect deepfake content by its image generator

OpenAI said it would share its new deepfake detector with a small group of disinformation researchers so they could test the tool in real-world situations and help pinpoint ways it could be improved

Amid rising menace of deepfakes during elections, focus back on guardrails

Although precise figures are elusive, there is a perceived surge in electoral deepfakes