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'''Fake news in India''' refers to [[misinformation]] or [[disinformation]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/resources/Intermediary%20Liability%20Rules%202018.pdf|title=Response to the Draft of The Information Technology [Intermediary Guidelines (Amendment) Rules] 2018|date=31 January 2019|website=[[Centre for Internet and Society (India)|Centre for Internet and Society]]|access-date=3 January 2020|quote=UNESCO has made the following distinction}}</ref> in the country which is spread through [[word of mouth]] and [[traditional media]] and more recently through [[Data transmission|digital forms of communication]] such as edited videos, memes, unverified advertisements and social media propagated rumours.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/social-media-india-fans-fake-news|title=Social media in India fans fake news|website=The Interpreter – [[Lowy Institute]]|access-date=27 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/disinformation-is-everywhere-in-india/article26626745.ece|title=Disinformation is everywhere in India|last1=Nielsen|first1=Rasmus Kleis|date=25 March 2019|work=The Hindu|access-date=29 August 2019|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Fake news spread through social media in the country has become a serious problem, with the potential of it resulting in mob violence, as was the case where at least 20 people were killed in 2018 as a result of misinformation circulated on social media.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-india-whatsapp-2019-story.html|title=How WhatsApp is battling misinformation in India, where 'fake news is part of our culture'|last1=Bengali|first1=Shashank|date=4 February 2019|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/fake-news-politicised-misinformation-more-common-in-india-us-expert-1916786|title="Lot Of Misinformation in India Spreads On WhatsApp": US Expert|date=15 September 2018|publisher=NDTV|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> |
'''Fake news in India''' refers to [[misinformation]] or [[disinformation]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/resources/Intermediary%20Liability%20Rules%202018.pdf|title=Response to the Draft of The Information Technology [Intermediary Guidelines (Amendment) Rules] 2018|date=31 January 2019|website=[[Centre for Internet and Society (India)|Centre for Internet and Society]]|access-date=3 January 2020|quote=UNESCO has made the following distinction}}</ref> in the country which is spread through [[word of mouth]] and [[traditional media]] and more recently through [[Data transmission|digital forms of communication]] such as edited videos, memes, unverified advertisements and social media propagated rumours.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/social-media-india-fans-fake-news|title=Social media in India fans fake news|website=The Interpreter – [[Lowy Institute]]|access-date=27 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/disinformation-is-everywhere-in-india/article26626745.ece|title=Disinformation is everywhere in India|last1=Nielsen|first1=Rasmus Kleis|date=25 March 2019|work=The Hindu|access-date=29 August 2019|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Fake news spread through social media in the country has become a serious problem, with the potential of it resulting in mob violence, as was the case where at least 20 people were killed in 2018 as a result of misinformation circulated on social media.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-india-whatsapp-2019-story.html|title=How WhatsApp is battling misinformation in India, where 'fake news is part of our culture'|last1=Bengali|first1=Shashank|date=4 February 2019|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/fake-news-politicised-misinformation-more-common-in-india-us-expert-1916786|title="Lot Of Misinformation in India Spreads On WhatsApp": US Expert|date=15 September 2018|publisher=NDTV|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> |
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Fake news is defined as stories purporting to be news that are intentionally and verifiably false and has the capacity to misinform and mislead readers.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal|last=Badrinathan|first=Sumitra|date=2021|title=Educative Interventions to Combat Misinformation: Evidence from a Field Experiment in India|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/abs/educative-interventions-to-combat-misinformation-evidence-from-a-field-experiment-in-india/A522EB5164406DE320647014946D31B3|journal=American Political Science Review|language=en|volume=115|issue=4|pages=1325–1341|doi=10.1017/S0003055421000459|issn=0003-0554}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Higdon|first=Nolan|url=https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520347878/the-anatomy-of-fake-news|title=The Anatomy of Fake News: A Critical News Literacy Education|date=2020|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|isbn=978-0-520-34787-8|language=en}}</ref> In [[Typology (social science research method)|academic typology]], fake news is classified into several forms along the axes of degree of [[facticity]], motivation of [[deception]] and form of presentation; it includes satire and parody that have a basis in facts but can mislead when de-contextualised, it includes fabrications and manipulation of information which were created with the intent to deceive or mislead and also includes [[covert advertising]] and [[political propaganda]] which are aimed to deceive in an organised attempt to influence wider public opinion.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Tandoc|first=Edson C.|last2=Lim|first2=Zheng Wei|last3=Ling|first3=Richard|date=2018-02-07|title=Defining “Fake News”|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1360143|journal=Digital Journalism|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|volume=6|issue=2|pages=137–153|doi=10.1080/21670811.2017.1360143|issn=2167-0811}}</ref> The [[UNESCO]] ''Handbook for Journalism Education and Training'' provides an additional distinction of two forms of fake news, one that is deliberately created with the intention of targeting and causing harm to a social group, an organisation, a person or a country, described as [[disinformation]] and the other being simple [[misinformation]] that wasn't created for the purpose of causing harm.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cherilyn|first=Ireton|title=Journalism, "Fake News" & Disinformation: Handbook for Journalism Education and Training|last2=Julie|first2=Posetti|date=2018-09-17|publisher=[[UNESCO Publishing]]|isbn=978-92-3-100281-6|language=en}}</ref> In India, fake news is predominantly disseminated by homegrown political disinformation campaigns.<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bansal|first=Snigdha Poonam, Samarth|date=2019-04-01|title=Misinformation Is Endangering India’s Election|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/04/india-misinformation-election-fake-news/586123/|url-status=live|website=[[The Atlantic]]|language=en}}</ref> |
Fake news is defined as stories purporting to be news that are intentionally and verifiably false and has the capacity to misinform and mislead readers.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal|last=Badrinathan|first=Sumitra|date=2021|title=Educative Interventions to Combat Misinformation: Evidence from a Field Experiment in India|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/abs/educative-interventions-to-combat-misinformation-evidence-from-a-field-experiment-in-india/A522EB5164406DE320647014946D31B3|journal=American Political Science Review|language=en|volume=115|issue=4|pages=1325–1341|doi=10.1017/S0003055421000459|issn=0003-0554}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Higdon|first=Nolan|url=https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520347878/the-anatomy-of-fake-news|title=The Anatomy of Fake News: A Critical News Literacy Education|date=2020|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|isbn=978-0-520-34787-8|language=en}}</ref> In [[Typology (social science research method)|academic typology]], fake news is classified into several forms along the axes of degree of [[facticity]], motivation of [[deception]] and form of presentation; it includes satire and parody that have a basis in facts but can mislead when de-contextualised, it includes fabrications and manipulation of information which were created with the intent to deceive or mislead and also includes [[covert advertising]] and [[political propaganda]] which are aimed to deceive in an organised attempt to influence wider public opinion.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Tandoc|first=Edson C.|last2=Lim|first2=Zheng Wei|last3=Ling|first3=Richard|date=2018-02-07|title=Defining “Fake News”|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1360143|journal=Digital Journalism|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|volume=6|issue=2|pages=137–153|doi=10.1080/21670811.2017.1360143|issn=2167-0811}}</ref> The [[UNESCO]] ''Handbook for Journalism Education and Training'' provides an additional distinction of two forms of fake news, one that is deliberately created with the intention of targeting and causing harm to a social group, an organisation, a person or a country, described as [[disinformation]] and the other being simple [[misinformation]] that wasn't created for the purpose of causing harm.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cherilyn|first=Ireton|title=Journalism, "Fake News" & Disinformation: Handbook for Journalism Education and Training|last2=Julie|first2=Posetti|date=2018-09-17|publisher=[[UNESCO Publishing]]|isbn=978-92-3-100281-6|language=en}}</ref> In India, fake news is predominantly disseminated by homegrown political disinformation campaigns.<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bansal|first=Snigdha Poonam, Samarth|date=2019-04-01|title=Misinformation Is Endangering India’s Election|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/04/india-misinformation-election-fake-news/586123/|url-status=live|website=[[The Atlantic]]|language=en}}</ref> |
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== Disinformation campaigns == |
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According to a report by ''[[The Guardian]]'', the Indian media research agency CMS stated that the cause of spread of fake news was that India "lacked (a) media policy for verification". Additionally, law enforcement officers have arrested reporters and journalists for "creating fictitious articles", especially when the articles were controversial.<ref name="Handbook2019">{{Cite book|last1=E|first1=Chiluwa, Innocent|last2=A|first2=Samoilenko, Sergei|date=28 June 2019|title=Handbook of Research on Deception, Fake News, and Misinformation Online|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LJGbDwAAQBAJ|publisher=IGI Global|page=236|isbn=9781522585374|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Goel|first1=Vindu|last2=Gettleman|first2=Jeffrey|last3=Khandelwal|first3=Saumya|date=2 April 2020|title=Under Modi, India's Press Is Not So Free Anymore|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/world/asia/modi-india-press-media.html|access-date=22 June 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> |
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In India, the spread of fake news has occurred with relation to political and religious matters. The IT Cells of the BJP, Congress and other political parties have been accused of spreading fake news against the party's political opponents and any campaigns against the party.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/elections/massive-crackdown-on-fake-news-facebook-removes-687-pages-linked-to-congress-it-cell/1534375/|title=Massive crackdown on fake news! Facebook removes 687 pages linked to Congress IT cell|date=1 April 2019|publisher= Financial Express}}</ref> The BJP is accused of spreading fake news targeting religious minorities.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Service|first=Tribune News|title=BJP on backfoot on migrants issue and 'fake' news targeting minorities|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/bjp-on-back-foot-on-migrants-issue-and-fake-news-targeting-minorities-83777|access-date=4 June 2020|website=The Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=From spreading fake news on JNU to garnering support for CAA through dubious claims, netizens are calling out BJP's IT Cell|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/from-fake-news-on-jnu-attack-to-luring-people-to-back-caa-through-false-promises-bjps-gargantuan-it-cell-is-being-called-out-by-netizens-7876491.html|access-date=4 June 2020|website=Firstpost|date=8 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Bansal|first1=Samarth |first2=Snigdha |last2=Poonam |date=1 April 2019 |title=Misinformation Is Endangering India's Election|work=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/04/india-misinformation-election-fake-news/586123/|access-date=22 June 2020|issn=1072-7825}}</ref> RSS mouthpiece [[Organiser (magazine)|Organizer]] and Congress mouthpiece [[National Herald]] have also been accused of misleading reports.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sify.com/news/the-many-lies-about-kerala-by-the-rss-organiser-news-columns-plslpvhadcbff.html|title=The many lies about Kerala by the RSS' Organiser}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scroll.in/article/902530/claims-that-shehla-rashid-siphoned-off-funds-collected-for-kathua-rape-victim-is-fake-news|title=Claim that Shehla Rashid siphoned off funds collected for Kathua rape victim is fake news}}</ref> |
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==Examples== |
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===Coronavirus=== |
===Coronavirus=== |
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Misinformation related to coronavirus [[COVID-19]] pandemic is in the form of social media messages related to home remedies that have not been verified, fake advisories and conspiracy theories.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/misinformation-fake-news-spark-india-coronavirus-fears-200309051731540.html|title=Misinformation, fake news spark India coronavirus fears|last1=Purohit|first1=Kunal|date=10 March 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boomlive.in/health/boiled-garlic-water-for-treating-coronavirus-not-really-6737|title=Boiled Garlic Water For Treating Coronavirus? Not Really|date=1 February 2020|website=Boomlive|access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref> At least two people have been arrested for spreading fake news about the coronavirus pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/coronavirus-update-health-worker-arrested-for-spreading-fake-news/story/398312.html|title=Coronavirus update: Health worker arrested for spreading fake news|date=16 March 2020|website=Business Today|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/odisha-32-year-old-held-spreading-fake-news-coronavirus-social-media-1655623-2020-03-14|title=Odisha: 32-year-old held for spreading fake news on coronavirus on social media|last1=Suffian|first1=Mohammad|date=14 March 2020|website=India Today|access-date=16 |
Misinformation related to coronavirus [[COVID-19]] pandemic is in the form of social media messages related to home remedies that have not been verified, fake advisories and conspiracy theories.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/misinformation-fake-news-spark-india-coronavirus-fears-200309051731540.html|title=Misinformation, fake news spark India coronavirus fears|last1=Purohit|first1=Kunal|date=10 March 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boomlive.in/health/boiled-garlic-water-for-treating-coronavirus-not-really-6737|title=Boiled Garlic Water For Treating Coronavirus? Not Really|date=1 February 2020|website=Boomlive|access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref> At least two people have been arrested for spreading fake news about the coronavirus pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/coronavirus-update-health-worker-arrested-for-spreading-fake-news/story/398312.html|title=Coronavirus update: Health worker arrested for spreading fake news|date=16 March 2020|website=Business Today|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/odisha-32-year-old-held-spreading-fake-news-coronavirus-social-media-1655623-2020-03-14|title=Odisha: 32-year-old held for spreading fake news on coronavirus on social media|last1=Suffian|first1=Mohammad|date=14 March 2020|website=India Today|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref> To counteract this, over 400 Indian Scientists are working together to debunk false information about the virus, as of 14 April 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How 300 Indian scientists are fighting fake news about COVID-19|url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/indian-scientists-covid19-false-infomation-coronavirus/|last1=Dore|first1=Bhavya|date=14 April 2020|website=World Economic Forum|access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref> |
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=== Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 === |
=== Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 === |
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Old pictures and videos were shared on social media, even by prominent personalities, giving a communal spin to the protests. Old images were also used to insinuate that the protests involved violence in many sites.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chaudhuri|first=Pooja|date=2020-01-28|title=Tarek Fatah, the unrelenting fake news peddler who targets Indian Muslims regularly|url=https://theprint.in/hoaxposed/tarek-fatah-the-unrelenting-fake-news-peddler-who-targets-indian-muslims-regularly/355214/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213153922/https://theprint.in/hoaxposed/tarek-fatah-the-unrelenting-fake-news-peddler-who-targets-indian-muslims-regularly/355214/|archive-date=2020-12-13|access-date=2021-03-15|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-12-27|title=Telangana BJP MP shares old video with 'communal' claim to question CAA protests|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/telangana-bjp-mp-shares-old-video-communal-claim-question-caa-protests-114865|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315014735/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/telangana-bjp-mp-shares-old-video-communal-claim-question-caa-protests-114865|archive-date=2021-03-15|access-date=2021-03-15|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Mishra|first=Shweta|date=2019-12-21|title=Fact Check: These viral images are NOT related to recent anti-CAA protests {{!}} Newsmobile|url=https://newsmobile.in/articles/2019/12/21/fact-check-these-viral-images-are-not-related-to-recent-anti-caa-protests/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221192853/https://newsmobile.in/articles/2019/12/21/fact-check-these-viral-images-are-not-related-to-recent-anti-caa-protests/|archive-date=2019-12-21|access-date=2021-03-15|language=en-US}}</ref> Similarly, some old clips involving police brutality were reposted and falsely purported to be linked with crackdown on CAA protesters.<ref name=":7" /> BJP's IT Cell Head [[Amit Malviya]] shared distorted videos misrepresenting anti-CAA protesters to be chanting "Pakistan Zindabad" and disturbing slogans against the Hindu community.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chaudhuri|first=Pooja|date=2020-02-10|title=Amit Malviya's fake news fountain: 16 pieces of misinformation spread by the BJP IT cell chief|url=https://scroll.in/article/952731/amit-malviyas-fake-news-fountain-16-pieces-of-misinformation-spread-by-the-bjp-it-cell-chief|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215030450/https://scroll.in/article/952731/amit-malviyas-fake-news-fountain-16-pieces-of-misinformation-spread-by-the-bjp-it-cell-chief|archive-date=2021-02-15|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref> |
Old pictures and videos were shared on social media, even by prominent personalities, giving a communal spin to the protests. Old images were also used to insinuate that the protests involved violence in many sites.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chaudhuri|first=Pooja|date=2020-01-28|title=Tarek Fatah, the unrelenting fake news peddler who targets Indian Muslims regularly|url=https://theprint.in/hoaxposed/tarek-fatah-the-unrelenting-fake-news-peddler-who-targets-indian-muslims-regularly/355214/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213153922/https://theprint.in/hoaxposed/tarek-fatah-the-unrelenting-fake-news-peddler-who-targets-indian-muslims-regularly/355214/|archive-date=2020-12-13|access-date=2021-03-15|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-12-27|title=Telangana BJP MP shares old video with 'communal' claim to question CAA protests|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/telangana-bjp-mp-shares-old-video-communal-claim-question-caa-protests-114865|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315014735/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/telangana-bjp-mp-shares-old-video-communal-claim-question-caa-protests-114865|archive-date=2021-03-15|access-date=2021-03-15|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Mishra|first=Shweta|date=2019-12-21|title=Fact Check: These viral images are NOT related to recent anti-CAA protests {{!}} Newsmobile|url=https://newsmobile.in/articles/2019/12/21/fact-check-these-viral-images-are-not-related-to-recent-anti-caa-protests/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221192853/https://newsmobile.in/articles/2019/12/21/fact-check-these-viral-images-are-not-related-to-recent-anti-caa-protests/|archive-date=2019-12-21|access-date=2021-03-15|language=en-US}}</ref> Similarly, some old clips involving police brutality were reposted and falsely purported to be linked with crackdown on CAA protesters.<ref name=":7" /> BJP's IT Cell Head [[Amit Malviya]] shared distorted videos misrepresenting anti-CAA protesters to be chanting "Pakistan Zindabad" and disturbing slogans against the Hindu community.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chaudhuri|first=Pooja|date=2020-02-10|title=Amit Malviya's fake news fountain: 16 pieces of misinformation spread by the BJP IT cell chief|url=https://scroll.in/article/952731/amit-malviyas-fake-news-fountain-16-pieces-of-misinformation-spread-by-the-bjp-it-cell-chief|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215030450/https://scroll.in/article/952731/amit-malviyas-fake-news-fountain-16-pieces-of-misinformation-spread-by-the-bjp-it-cell-chief|archive-date=2021-02-15|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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The [[Prime Minister of Malaysia]] commented on the necessity of the law, raising concerns over possible deprivation of citizenship of Indian Muslims. The Indian [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]] called him out for "factually inaccurate remarks" stating that the act does not "deprive any Indian of any faith of her or his citizenship".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/32230/Factually+Inaccurate+Remarks+by+Prime+Minister+of+Malaysia+on+CAA|title=Factually Inaccurate Remarks by Prime Minister of Malaysia on CAA|website=mea.gov.in|access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/malaysian-pm-mahathir-says-people-dying-due-to-law-inaccurate-says-india/story-X4uoQD4ryfY6usf5Dvok4M.html|title='Factually inaccurate': India rebuts Malaysian PM's remark on citizenship law|date=21 December 2019|website=Hindustan Times|access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref> [[Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City|Bangalore Police Commissioner]] called for people not to believe fake news related to CAA while the [[Assam Police]] cautioned people to be careful while posting on the social media.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/section-144-imposed-in-bengaluru-other-parts-of-karnataka-to-disallow-protests-against-caa-nrc-11576688875291.html|title=Section 144 imposed in Bengaluru, other parts of Karnataka|last1=Poovanna|first1=Sharan|date=18 December 2019|website=Livemint|access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/caa-protest-be-cautious-posting-social-media-assam-police-tells-people-1630156-2019-12-20|title=Be cautious while posting on social media, Assam police tells people|date=20 December 2019|website=India Today|others=Press Trust of India|access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref> |
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=== Elections === |
=== Elections === |
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Fake news was very prevalent during the [[2019 Indian general election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/story/india-lok-sabha-elections-fake-news-photoshop-lie-truth-1537053-2019-05-28|title=Clip, flip and Photoshop: Anatomy of fakes in Indian elections|date=28 May 2019|website=India Today|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/04/india-misinformation-election-fake-news/586123/|title=Misinformation Is Endangering India's Election|last1=Bansal|first1=Samarth|date=1 April 2019|work=The Atlantic|access-date=28 August 2019|last2=Poonam|first2=Snigdha|issn=1072-7825}}</ref> Misinformation was prevalent at all levels of society during the build-up to the election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-05-13-junk-news-and-misinformation-prevalent-indian-election-campaign|title=Junk news and misinformation prevalent in Indian election campaign|date=13 May 2019|publisher=University of Oxford|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/india-election-socialmedia-fakenews-idUSKCN1RE08Z|title=Despite being exposed, fake news thrives on social media ahead of...|last1=Phartiyal|first1=Sankalp|date=2 April 2019|work=Reuters|access-date=28 August 2019|last2=Kalra|first2=Aditya}}</ref> The elections were called by some as "India's first WhatsApp elections", with WhatsApp being used by many as a tool of propaganda.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47797151|title=WhatsApp: The 'black hole' of fake news in India's election|last1=Ponniah|first1=Kevin|date=6 April 2019|publisher=BBC|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> As [[Vice Media|VICE]] and [[AltNews.in|AltNews]] write, "parties have weaponized the platforms" and "misinformation was weaponized" respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/597mwk/modis-trolls-are-ready-to-wreak-havoc-on-indias-marathon-election|title=Modi's trolls are ready to wreak havoc on India's marathon election|last1=Gilbert|first1=David|date=11 April 2019|website=Vice|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.altnews.in/how-misinformation-was-weaponized-in-2019-lok-sabha-election-a-compilation/|title=How misinformation was weaponized in 2019 Lok Sabha election – A compilation|last1=Sidharth|first1=Arjun|date=18 May 2019|website=[[Alt News]]|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> |
Fake news was very prevalent during the [[2019 Indian general election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/story/india-lok-sabha-elections-fake-news-photoshop-lie-truth-1537053-2019-05-28|title=Clip, flip and Photoshop: Anatomy of fakes in Indian elections|date=28 May 2019|website=India Today|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/04/india-misinformation-election-fake-news/586123/|title=Misinformation Is Endangering India's Election|last1=Bansal|first1=Samarth|date=1 April 2019|work=The Atlantic|access-date=28 August 2019|last2=Poonam|first2=Snigdha|issn=1072-7825}}</ref> Misinformation was prevalent at all levels of society during the build-up to the election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-05-13-junk-news-and-misinformation-prevalent-indian-election-campaign|title=Junk news and misinformation prevalent in Indian election campaign|date=13 May 2019|publisher=University of Oxford|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/india-election-socialmedia-fakenews-idUSKCN1RE08Z|title=Despite being exposed, fake news thrives on social media ahead of...|last1=Phartiyal|first1=Sankalp|date=2 April 2019|work=Reuters|access-date=28 August 2019|last2=Kalra|first2=Aditya}}</ref> The elections were called by some as "India's first WhatsApp elections", with WhatsApp being used by many as a tool of propaganda.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last1=Perrigo|first1=Billy|date=25 January 2019|title=How Whatsapp Is Fueling Fake News Ahead of India's Elections|url=https://time.com/5512032/whatsapp-india-election-2019/|access-date=28 August 2019|website=Time}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47797151|title=WhatsApp: The 'black hole' of fake news in India's election|last1=Ponniah|first1=Kevin|date=6 April 2019|publisher=BBC|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> As [[Vice Media|VICE]] and [[AltNews.in|AltNews]] write, "parties have weaponized the platforms" and "misinformation was weaponized" respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/597mwk/modis-trolls-are-ready-to-wreak-havoc-on-indias-marathon-election|title=Modi's trolls are ready to wreak havoc on India's marathon election|last1=Gilbert|first1=David|date=11 April 2019|website=Vice|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.altnews.in/how-misinformation-was-weaponized-in-2019-lok-sabha-election-a-compilation/|title=How misinformation was weaponized in 2019 Lok Sabha election – A compilation|last1=Sidharth|first1=Arjun|date=18 May 2019|website=[[Alt News]]|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> |
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India has 22 scheduled languages,<ref>[http://rajbhasha.nic.in/UI/pagecontent.aspx?pc=MTUz Languages Included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constution] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604094122/http://rajbhasha.nic.in/UI/pagecontent.aspx?pc=MTUz|date=4 June 2016}}</ref> and vetting information in all of them becomes difficult for [[Multinational corporation|multinationals]] like Facebook, which has only gathered the resources to vet 10 of them, leaving languages like [[Sindhi (language)|Sindhi]], [[Odia language|Odia]] and [[Kannada]] completely unvetted, {{As of|2019|May|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/alarming-lessons-from-facebooks-push-to-stop-fake-news-in-india/articleshow/69421474.cms?from=mdr|title=Alarming lessons from Facebook's push to stop fake news in India|date=21 May 2019|work=The Economic Times|access-date=29 August 2019|others=Bloomberg}}</ref> Nevertheless, Facebook went on to remove nearly one million accounts a day, including ones spreading misinformation and fake news before the elections.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/facebook-makes-preparations-for-countering-fake-news-in-india-as-elections-loom-6409621.html|title=Facebook removes 1 million abusive accounts a day to counter fake news in India|date=9 April 2019|website=Firstpost|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> |
India has 22 scheduled languages,<ref>[http://rajbhasha.nic.in/UI/pagecontent.aspx?pc=MTUz Languages Included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constution] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604094122/http://rajbhasha.nic.in/UI/pagecontent.aspx?pc=MTUz|date=4 June 2016}}</ref> and vetting information in all of them becomes difficult for [[Multinational corporation|multinationals]] like Facebook, which has only gathered the resources to vet 10 of them, leaving languages like [[Sindhi (language)|Sindhi]], [[Odia language|Odia]] and [[Kannada]] completely unvetted, {{As of|2019|May|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/alarming-lessons-from-facebooks-push-to-stop-fake-news-in-india/articleshow/69421474.cms?from=mdr|title=Alarming lessons from Facebook's push to stop fake news in India|date=21 May 2019|work=The Economic Times|access-date=29 August 2019|others=Bloomberg}}</ref> Nevertheless, Facebook went on to remove nearly one million accounts a day, including ones spreading misinformation and fake news before the elections.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/facebook-makes-preparations-for-countering-fake-news-in-india-as-elections-loom-6409621.html|title=Facebook removes 1 million abusive accounts a day to counter fake news in India|date=9 April 2019|website=Firstpost|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> |
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In August 2019, following the [[Indian revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status|Indian revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's Article 370]], disinformation related to whether people were suffering or not, lack of supplies and other administration issues followed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/how-these-jampk-officers-are-fighting-fake-news-on-kashmir/1599887|title=How these J&K officers are fighting fake news on Kashmir|date=19 August 2019|website=Outlook India|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/communications-blackout-in-kashmir-a-quick-fix-that-can-backfire-54430/|title=Communications blackout in Kashmir: A quick fix that can backfire|last1=Bhatt|first1=Parjanya|last2=K.J.|first2=Shashidhar|date=14 August 2019|publisher=[[Observer Research Foundation]]|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> The official Twitter accounts of the [[Central Reserve Police Force|CRPF]] and [[Jammu and Kashmir Police|Kashmir Police]] apart from other government handles called out misinformation and disinformation in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/fake-news-galore-on-kashmir/cid/1697400|title=Fake news galore on Kashmir|website=The Telegraph|location=Kolkota|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology]] assisted by getting Twitter to suspend accounts spreading fake inciteful news.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/4-twitter-handles-suspended-for-alleged-anti-india-propaganda/articleshow/70648195.cms|title=Twitter told to take down handles spreading fake news about Kashmir Valley|last1=Tripathi|first1=Rahul|date=13 August 2019|work=The Economic Times|access-date=29 August 2019|last2=Irfan|first2=Hakeem}}</ref> The [[Indian Army]] and media houses such as ''[[India Today]]'' denied various claims such as the Indian Army burning down houses,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fact-check/story/fact-check-no-indian-army-didn-t-burn-down-houses-in-kashmir-1577981-2019-08-06|title=Fact Check: No, Indian Army didn't burn down houses in Kashmir|last1=Deodia|first1=Arjun|date=6 August 2019|website=India Today|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> the deaths of six personnel in cross border firing,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pak-claim-of-killing-six-indian-security-personnel-fake-army-1583694-2019-08-21|title=Pak claim of killing six Indian security personnel fake: Army|last1=DelhiAugust 21|first1=PTI|date=21 August 2019|website=India Today|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> and a series of "torture" allegations made by activist [[Shehla Rashid]] via Twitter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/army-denies-shehla-rashids-claims-of-excesses-by-security-forces-in-jk/articleshow/70746321.cms|title=Army denies Shehla Rashid's claims of excesses by security forces in J&K|date=20 August 2019|website=The Times of India|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/india-s-kashmir-doctrine-claims-of-torture-night-raids-mass-detentions-29102|title=India's Kashmir doctrine: Claims of torture, night raids, mass detentions|date=19 August 2019|work=[[TRT World]]|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> On the other hand, ''[[The New York Times]]'' claimed officials in New Delhi were portraying a sense of normality in the region, whereas "security personnel in Kashmir said large protests kept erupting". The newspaper quoted a soldier Ravi Kant saying "mobs of a dozen, two dozen, even more, sometimes with a lot of women, come out, pelt stones at us and run away."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/10/world/asia/kashmir-india-pakistan.html|title=Inside Kashmir, Cut Off From the World: 'A Living Hell' of Anger and Fear|last1=Yasir|first1=Sameer|date=10 August 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=21 September 2019|last2=Raj|first2=Suhasini|issn=0362-4331|last3=Gettleman|first3=Jeffrey}}</ref> The Supreme Court of India was told by the [[Solicitor General of India|Solicitor General]] Tushar Mehta that "not a single bullet has been fired by security forces after August 5", however BBC reported otherwise.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/supreme-court-asks-government-to-restore-normalcy-in-kashmir-1599858-2019-09-16|title=Supreme Court asks government to restore normalcy in Kashmir|last=PTI|date=16 September 2019|website=India Today|access-date=21 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49481180|title=Kashmiris allege torture in army crackdown|last1=Hashmi|first1=Sameer|date=29 August 2019|access-date=21 September 2019}}</ref> The Supreme Court went onto say that the center should make "every endeavor to restore the normalcy as early as possible."<ref name=":4" /> |
In August 2019, following the [[Indian revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status|Indian revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's Article 370]], disinformation related to whether people were suffering or not, lack of supplies and other administration issues followed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/how-these-jampk-officers-are-fighting-fake-news-on-kashmir/1599887|title=How these J&K officers are fighting fake news on Kashmir|date=19 August 2019|website=Outlook India|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/communications-blackout-in-kashmir-a-quick-fix-that-can-backfire-54430/|title=Communications blackout in Kashmir: A quick fix that can backfire|last1=Bhatt|first1=Parjanya|last2=K.J.|first2=Shashidhar|date=14 August 2019|publisher=[[Observer Research Foundation]]|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> The official Twitter accounts of the [[Central Reserve Police Force|CRPF]] and [[Jammu and Kashmir Police|Kashmir Police]] apart from other government handles called out misinformation and disinformation in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/fake-news-galore-on-kashmir/cid/1697400|title=Fake news galore on Kashmir|website=The Telegraph|location=Kolkota|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology]] assisted by getting Twitter to suspend accounts spreading fake inciteful news.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/4-twitter-handles-suspended-for-alleged-anti-india-propaganda/articleshow/70648195.cms|title=Twitter told to take down handles spreading fake news about Kashmir Valley|last1=Tripathi|first1=Rahul|date=13 August 2019|work=The Economic Times|access-date=29 August 2019|last2=Irfan|first2=Hakeem}}</ref> The [[Indian Army]] and media houses such as ''[[India Today]]'' denied various claims such as the Indian Army burning down houses,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fact-check/story/fact-check-no-indian-army-didn-t-burn-down-houses-in-kashmir-1577981-2019-08-06|title=Fact Check: No, Indian Army didn't burn down houses in Kashmir|last1=Deodia|first1=Arjun|date=6 August 2019|website=India Today|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> the deaths of six personnel in cross border firing,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pak-claim-of-killing-six-indian-security-personnel-fake-army-1583694-2019-08-21|title=Pak claim of killing six Indian security personnel fake: Army|last1=DelhiAugust 21|first1=PTI|date=21 August 2019|website=India Today|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> and a series of "torture" allegations made by activist [[Shehla Rashid]] via Twitter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/army-denies-shehla-rashids-claims-of-excesses-by-security-forces-in-jk/articleshow/70746321.cms|title=Army denies Shehla Rashid's claims of excesses by security forces in J&K|date=20 August 2019|website=The Times of India|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/india-s-kashmir-doctrine-claims-of-torture-night-raids-mass-detentions-29102|title=India's Kashmir doctrine: Claims of torture, night raids, mass detentions|date=19 August 2019|work=[[TRT World]]|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> On the other hand, ''[[The New York Times]]'' claimed officials in New Delhi were portraying a sense of normality in the region, whereas "security personnel in Kashmir said large protests kept erupting". The newspaper quoted a soldier Ravi Kant saying "mobs of a dozen, two dozen, even more, sometimes with a lot of women, come out, pelt stones at us and run away."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/10/world/asia/kashmir-india-pakistan.html|title=Inside Kashmir, Cut Off From the World: 'A Living Hell' of Anger and Fear|last1=Yasir|first1=Sameer|date=10 August 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=21 September 2019|last2=Raj|first2=Suhasini|issn=0362-4331|last3=Gettleman|first3=Jeffrey}}</ref> The Supreme Court of India was told by the [[Solicitor General of India|Solicitor General]] Tushar Mehta that "not a single bullet has been fired by security forces after August 5", however BBC reported otherwise.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/supreme-court-asks-government-to-restore-normalcy-in-kashmir-1599858-2019-09-16|title=Supreme Court asks government to restore normalcy in Kashmir|last=PTI|date=16 September 2019|website=India Today|access-date=21 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49481180|title=Kashmiris allege torture in army crackdown|last1=Hashmi|first1=Sameer|date=29 August 2019|access-date=21 September 2019}}</ref> The Supreme Court went onto say that the center should make "every endeavor to restore the normalcy as early as possible."<ref name=":4" /> |
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⚫ | Journalists in Kashmir have been subjected to repeated criminal proceedings which led to three [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights|UN OHCHR]] Special Rapporteurs expressing concerns over a "pattern of silencing independent reporting on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir through the threat of criminal sanction", specifically mentioning journalists Gowhar Geelani, [[Masrat Zahra]], Naseer Ganai and Peerzada Ashiq and reiterating the position affirmed at the 2017 Joint Declaration on Fake News, Disinformation and Propaganda that "general prohibitions on the dissemination of information based on vague and ambiguous ideas, including "false news" or "non objective information" are incompatible with international standards for restrictions on freedom of expression."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-12|title=Mandates of the special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression|url=https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=25237|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020081749/https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=25237|archive-date=2020-10-20|access-date=2021-02-28|website=OHCHR|type=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|date=August 2020|title=Kashmir's Internet Siege - an ongoing assault on digital rights|url=https://jkccs.net/report-kashmirs-internet-siege/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-02-28|website=JKCCS|language=en}}</ref> |
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⚫ | The J&K administration released a new Media Policy-2020 on 15 May 2020 which read that "any individual or group indulging in fake news, unethical or anti national activities or in plagiarism shall be de-empaneled besides being proceeded against under law".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-11|title=Jammu and Kashmir Media Policy 2020|url=https://kashmirlife.net/jammu-and-kashmir-media-policy-2020-236330/|access-date=2021-02-28|website=Kashmir Life|language=en-GB}}</ref> Writing for [[Economic and Political Weekly|EPW]], Geeta wrote that the policy would serve to "make citizens passive recipients of the information" disseminated by the government.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Seshu|first=Geeta|date=2020-08-19|title=Kashmir Media Policy: Accentuating the Curbs on the Freedom of Press|url=https://www.epw.in/engage/article/kashmir-media-policy-accentuating-curbs-freedom-press|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|language=en|pages=7–8|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108015509/https://www.epw.in/engage/article/kashmir-media-policy-accentuating-curbs-freedom-press|archive-date=2021-01-08}}</ref> The Indian Express published an editorial stating that "at a time when democratic political voices remain missing" in the Union Territory, the policy is an "affront, intended to keep control of the narrative of J&K." The [[Press Council of India]] stated that the provisions regarding fake news affect the free functioning of the press.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-16|title=Press Council seeks J&K''s reply on new media policy, says it affects functioning of free press|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/press-council-seeks-jks-reply-on-new-media-policy-says-it-affects-functioning-of-free-press/1867855|url-status=live|access-date=2021-02-28|website=Outlook India}}</ref> |
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=== Other examples === |
=== Other examples === |
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* Imposters posing as army personnel on the social media have been called out by the [[Indian Army]] as false news and disinformation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/fake-alert-indian-army-warns-against-imposter-in-uniform-spreading-false-information-2213580.html|title=Fake alert: Indian Army warns against imposter in uniform spreading false information|date=22 June 2019|website=Zee News|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> |
* Imposters posing as army personnel on the social media have been called out by the [[Indian Army]] as false news and disinformation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/fake-alert-indian-army-warns-against-imposter-in-uniform-spreading-false-information-2213580.html|title=Fake alert: Indian Army warns against imposter in uniform spreading false information|date=22 June 2019|website=Zee News|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> |
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*As part of the [[2016 Indian banknote demonetisation]], India introduced a new [[Indian 2000-rupee note|2,000-rupee currency note]]. Following this, multiple fake news reports about "spying technology" added in the banknotes went viral on WhatsApp<ref name="Handbook2019" /> and had to be dismissed by the government.<ref>{{cite web|date=9 November 2016|title=Arun Jaitley dismisses rumours of nano GPS chip on Rs 2000. But data show as many as cash fish catches have been done they had huge bundles of new currency note|url=http://zeenews.india.com/personal-finance/arun-jaitley-dismisses-rumours-of-nano-gps-chip-on-rs-2000-note_1948129.html|website=Zee News}}</ref>{{bsn|date=June 2020}} |
*As part of the [[2016 Indian banknote demonetisation]], India introduced a new [[Indian 2000-rupee note|2,000-rupee currency note]]. Following this, multiple fake news reports about "spying technology" added in the banknotes went viral on WhatsApp<ref name="Handbook2019">{{Cite book|last1=E|first1=Chiluwa, Innocent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LJGbDwAAQBAJ|title=Handbook of Research on Deception, Fake News, and Misinformation Online|last2=A|first2=Samoilenko, Sergei|date=28 June 2019|publisher=IGI Global|isbn=9781522585374|page=236|via=Google Books}}</ref> and had to be dismissed by the government.<ref>{{cite web|date=9 November 2016|title=Arun Jaitley dismisses rumours of nano GPS chip on Rs 2000. But data show as many as cash fish catches have been done they had huge bundles of new currency note|url=http://zeenews.india.com/personal-finance/arun-jaitley-dismisses-rumours-of-nano-gps-chip-on-rs-2000-note_1948129.html|website=Zee News}}</ref>{{bsn|date=June 2020}} |
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*The NaMo app, an app dedicated to [[Narendra Modi]], the [[Prime Minister of India]], was reported to have promoted and spread fake news.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Chaudhuri|first1=Pooja|last2=Patel|first2=Jignesh|date=7 February 2019|title=NaMo App promotes fake news factory 'The India Eye' and users can't block it even if they want to|url=https://scroll.in/article/912405/namo-app-promotes-fake-news-factory-the-india-eye-and-users-cant-block-it-even-if-they-want-to|access-date=4 June 2020|website=Scroll.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Thaker|first=Aria|date=29 January 2019|title=Is Narendra Modi's NaMo app spreading fake news? A journalist finds a troubling pattern|url=https://scroll.in/article/911084/is-narendra-modis-namo-app-spreading-fake-news-a-journalist-finds-a-troubling-pattern|access-date=4 June 2020|website=Scroll.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=27 January 2019|title=Narendra Modi App Has A Fake News Problem|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/narendra-modi-app-has-a-fake-news-problem_in_5c4d5c86e4b0287e5b8b6d52|access-date=22 June 2020|website=HuffPost India|first=Samarth|last=Bansal}}</ref> |
*The NaMo app, an app dedicated to [[Narendra Modi]], the [[Prime Minister of India]], was reported to have promoted and spread fake news.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Chaudhuri|first1=Pooja|last2=Patel|first2=Jignesh|date=7 February 2019|title=NaMo App promotes fake news factory 'The India Eye' and users can't block it even if they want to|url=https://scroll.in/article/912405/namo-app-promotes-fake-news-factory-the-india-eye-and-users-cant-block-it-even-if-they-want-to|access-date=4 June 2020|website=Scroll.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Thaker|first=Aria|date=29 January 2019|title=Is Narendra Modi's NaMo app spreading fake news? A journalist finds a troubling pattern|url=https://scroll.in/article/911084/is-narendra-modis-namo-app-spreading-fake-news-a-journalist-finds-a-troubling-pattern|access-date=4 June 2020|website=Scroll.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=27 January 2019|title=Narendra Modi App Has A Fake News Problem|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/narendra-modi-app-has-a-fake-news-problem_in_5c4d5c86e4b0287e5b8b6d52|access-date=22 June 2020|website=HuffPost India|first=Samarth|last=Bansal}}</ref> |
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== Modes of distribution == |
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=== Social media === |
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⚫ | The damage caused due to fake news on social media has increased due to the growth of the internet penetration in India, which has risen from 137 million internet users in 2012 to over 600 million in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Mohan|first1=Shriya|date=26 April 2019|title=Everybody needs a good lie|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/cover/everybody-needs-a-good-lie/article26952244.ece|access-date=28 August 2019|website=Business Line}}</ref> Fake news is also spread through [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=WhatsApp in India: Scourge of violence-inciting fake news tough to tackle|url=https://www.dw.com/en/whatsapp-in-india-scourge-of-violence-inciting-fake-news-tough-to-tackle/a-52709823|access-date=4 June 2020|publisher=Deutsche Welle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=6 April 2019|title=WhatsApp: The 'black hole' of fake news in India's election|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47797151|access-date=4 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=21 May 2019|title=Alarming lessons from Facebook's push to stop fake news in India|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/alarming-lessons-from-facebooks-push-to-stop-fake-news-in-india/articleshow/69421474.cms|access-date=4 June 2020}}</ref> |
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== Impact == |
== Impact == |
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⚫ | Fake news is frequently used to target minorities and has become a significant cause of localised violence as well as large scale riots.<ref>{{Cite book|last=P|first=Deepak|url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-62696-9|title=Data Science for Fake News: Surveys and Perspectives|last2=Chakraborty|first2=Tanmoy|last3=Long|first3=Cheng|last4=G|first4=Santhosh Kumar|date=2021|journal=|publisher=[[Springer Nature]]|series=The Information Retrieval Series|page=8|language=en-gb|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-62696-9|issn=1871-7500}}</ref> Engineered mass violence was instigated during the [[2013 Muzaffarnagar riots]], through a disinformation campaign propagating the [[Love Jihad conspiracy theory|love jihad conspiracy theory]] and circulating fake news video.<ref>{{Cite book|last=George|first=Cherian|url=https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/hate-spin|title=Hate Spin: The Manufacture of Religious Offense and Its Threat to Democracy|publisher=[[MIT Press]]|year=2016|isbn=978-0-262-33607-9|pages=96–99|language=en|access-date=17 February 2021}}</ref> |
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=== Socio-political === |
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⚫ | Fake news is frequently used to target minorities and has become a significant cause of localised violence as well as large scale riots.<ref>{{Cite book|last=P|first=Deepak|url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-62696-9|title=Data Science for Fake News: Surveys and Perspectives|last2=Chakraborty|first2=Tanmoy|last3=Long|first3=Cheng|last4=G|first4=Santhosh Kumar|date=2021|journal=|publisher=[[Springer Nature]]|series=The Information Retrieval Series|page=8|language=en-gb|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-62696-9|issn=1871-7500}}</ref> Engineered mass violence was instigated during the [[2013 Muzaffarnagar riots]], through a disinformation campaign propagating the [[Love Jihad conspiracy theory|love jihad conspiracy theory]] and circulatinga fake news video.<ref>{{Cite book|last=George|first=Cherian|url=https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/hate-spin|title=Hate Spin: The Manufacture of Religious Offense and Its Threat to Democracy|publisher=[[MIT Press]]|year=2016|isbn=978-0-262-33607-9|pages=96–99|language=en|access-date=17 February 2021}}</ref> |
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=== Institutional === |
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Internet shutdowns are used by the government as a way to control social media rumours from spreading.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Bajoria|first1=Jayshree|date=24 April 2019|title=India Internet Clampdown Will Not Stop Misinformation|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/04/24/india-internet-clampdown-will-not-stop-misinformation|access-date=28 August 2019|publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> Ideas such as linking [[Aadhaar]] to social media accounts has been suggested to the [[Supreme Court of India]] by the [[Attorney General of India|Attorney General]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=PTI|date=20 August 2019|title=Social media accounts need to be linked with Aadhaar to check fake news, SC told|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/social-media-accounts-need-to-be-linked-with-aadhaar-to-check-fake-news-supreme-court-1582465-2019-08-19|access-date=28 August 2019|website=India Today}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In November 2019, the [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Indian ministry of information and broadcasting]] planned to set up a FACT checking module to counter the circulation of fake news by continuous monitoring of online news sources and publicly visible social media posts. The module will work on the four principles of "Find, Assess, Create and Target" (FACT). The module will initially will be run by information service officers.<ref>{{Cite news|date=16 November 2019|title=I&B team to counter fake news|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|url=https://m.timesofindia.com/india/ib-team-to-counter-fake-news/articleshow/72079340.cms|access-date=17 November 2019}}</ref> Near the end of 2019, the [[Press Information Bureau]] (which comes under the [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Ministry of Information and Broadcasting]]) set up a fact-checking unit which would focus on verifying news related to the government.<ref>{{Cite news|others=PTI|date=29 November 2019|title=Press Information Bureau sets up unit to combat fake news related to government|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/press-information-bureau-sets-up-unit-to-combat-fake-news-related-to-government/article30116077.ece|access-date=30 November 2019|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=28 November 2019|title=PIB establishes checking unit to combat fake news against government on social media|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/pib-establishes-checking-unit-to-combat-fake-news-against-government-on-social-media/articleshow/72279066.cms|access-date=30 November 2019}}</ref> |
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⚫ | Journalists in Kashmir have been subjected to repeated criminal proceedings which led to three [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights|UN OHCHR]] Special Rapporteurs expressing concerns over a "pattern of silencing independent reporting on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir through the threat of criminal sanction", specifically mentioning journalists Gowhar Geelani, [[Masrat Zahra]], Naseer Ganai and Peerzada Ashiq and reiterating the position affirmed at the 2017 Joint Declaration on Fake News, Disinformation and Propaganda that "general prohibitions on the dissemination of information based on vague and ambiguous ideas, including "false news" or "non objective information" are incompatible with international standards for restrictions on freedom of expression."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-12|title=Mandates of the special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression|url=https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=25237|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020081749/https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=25237|archive-date=2020-10-20|access-date=2021-02-28|website=OHCHR|type=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|date=August 2020|title=Kashmir's Internet Siege - an ongoing assault on digital rights|url=https://jkccs.net/report-kashmirs-internet-siege/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-02-28|website=JKCCS|language=en}}</ref> |
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⚫ | The J&K administration released a new Media Policy-2020 on 15 May 2020 which read that "any individual or group indulging in fake news, unethical or anti national activities or in plagiarism shall be de-empaneled besides being proceeded against under law".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-11|title=Jammu and Kashmir Media Policy 2020|url=https://kashmirlife.net/jammu-and-kashmir-media-policy-2020-236330/|access-date=2021-02-28|website=Kashmir Life|language=en-GB}}</ref> Writing for [[Economic and Political Weekly|EPW]], Geeta wrote that the policy would serve to "make citizens passive recipients of the information" disseminated by the government.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Seshu|first=Geeta|date=2020-08-19|title=Kashmir Media Policy: Accentuating the Curbs on the Freedom of Press|url=https://www.epw.in/engage/article/kashmir-media-policy-accentuating-curbs-freedom-press|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|language=en|pages=7–8|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108015509/https://www.epw.in/engage/article/kashmir-media-policy-accentuating-curbs-freedom-press|archive-date=2021-01-08}}</ref> The Indian Express published an editorial stating that "at a time when democratic political voices remain missing" in the Union Territory, the policy is an "affront, intended to keep control of the narrative of J&K." The [[Press Council of India]] stated that the provisions regarding fake news affect the free functioning of the press.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-16|title=Press Council seeks J&K''s reply on new media policy, says it affects functioning of free press|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/press-council-seeks-jks-reply-on-new-media-policy-says-it-affects-functioning-of-free-press/1867855|url-status=live|access-date=2021-02-28|website=Outlook India}}</ref> |
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==Countermeasures== |
==Countermeasures== |
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[[File:How to Spot Fake News.pdf|thumb|Fighting Fake News]] |
[[File:How to Spot Fake News.pdf|thumb|Fighting Fake News]] |
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=== Fact checking organisations === |
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⚫ | In India, Facebook has partnered with fact-checking websites such as BOOM<ref name=":1" /> and Webqoof by [[The Quint]]. Following over 30 killings linked to rumours spread over WhatsApp, WhatsApp introduced various measures to curb the spread of misinformation, which included limiting the number of people a message could be forwarded to as well as introducing a tip-line among other measures such as suspending accounts and sending cease-and-desist letters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/02/tech/whatsapp-india-tip-line-election/index.html|title=WhatsApp now has a tip line for Indian election misinformation|last1=Iyengar|first1=Rishi|date=2 April 2019|publisher=CNN|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2018/inside-whatsapps-battle-against-misinformation-in-india/|title=Inside WhatsApp's battle against misinformation in India|last1=Rebelo|first1=Karen|date=17 December 2018|website=Poynter|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> WhatsApp also added a small tag, ''forwarded,'' to relevant messages. They also started a course for digital literacy and came out with full page advertisements in newspapers in multiple languages.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/story/how-whatsapp-fuels-fake-news-and-violence-in-india/|title=How WhatsApp Fuels Fake News and Violence in India|last1=McLaughlin|first1=Timothy|date=12 December 2018|work=Wired|access-date=29 August 2019|issn=1059-1028}}</ref> Twitter has also taken action to curb the spread of fake news such as deleting accounts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/06/whatsapp-deleting-two-million-accounts-per-month-to-stop-fake-news|title=WhatsApp 'deleting 2m accounts a month' to stop fake news|last1=Safi|first1=Michael|date=6 February 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 August 2019|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> |
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⚫ | Fact-checking in India has become a business, spurning the creation of fact-checking websites such as BOOM, [[AltNews.in|Alt News]], Factly and SMHoaxSlayer.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Facebook expands fact-checking network in India, adds 5 more partners to spot fake news|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/top-story/facebook-expands-fact-checking-network-in-india-adds-5-more-partners-to-spot-fake-news/story/318468.html|access-date=28 August 2019|website=Business Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Ananth|first1=Venkat|date=7 May 2019|title=Can fact-checking emerge as big and viable business?|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/can-fact-checking-emerge-as-big-and-viable-business/articleshow/69210719.cms?from=mdr|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> Media houses also have their own fact-checking departments now such as the [[India Today Group]], [[Times Internet]] has ''TOI Factcheck'' and ''The Quint'' ha''s WebQoof.''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fact Check|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fact-check|access-date=28 August 2019|website=India Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Gupta|first1=Neha|date=2 January 2019|title=Indian media fights fake news in run up to Lok Sabha elections|url=https://blog.wan-ifra.org/2019/02/01/indian-media-fights-fake-news-in-run-up-to-lok-sabha-elections|access-date=6 September 2019|website=[[World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers|WAN-IFRA]]}}</ref> India Today Group, Vishvas.news, Factly, Newsmobile, and Fact Crescendo (all [[International Fact Checking Network|International Fact-Checking Network]] certified) are Facebook partners in fact-checking.<ref name=":3" /> |
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=== Grassroot measures === |
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⚫ |
In 2018, Google News launched a program to train 8000 journalists in seven official Indian languages including English. The program, Google's largest training initiative in the world, would spread awareness of fake news and anti-misinformation practices such as fact-checking.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/pmi-2017/media/google-wants-to-train-8000-journalists-with-new-tools-to-fight-fake-news/articleshow/64653004.cms?from=mdr |
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⚫ | In some parts of India like Kannur in Kerala, the government conducted fake news classes in government schools.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-45140158|title=Fighting India's WhatsApp fake news war|last1=Biswas|first1=Soutik|date=20 August 2018|publisher=BBC|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> Some say the government should conduct more public-education initiatives to make the population more aware of fake news.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-03-17/india-is-fighting-fake-news-the-wrong-way|title=The Wrong Way to Fight Fake News|date=18 March 2019|website=Bloomberg|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In 2018, Google News launched a program to train 8000 journalists in seven official Indian languages including English. The program, Google's largest training initiative in the world, would spread awareness of fake news and anti-misinformation practices such as fact-checking.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Christopher|first1=Nilesh|date=19 June 2018|title=Google wants to train 8000 journalists with new tools to fight fake news|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/pmi-2017/media/google-wants-to-train-8000-journalists-with-new-tools-to-fight-fake-news/articleshow/64653004.cms?from=mdr|access-date=6 September 2019}}</ref> |
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⚫ |
Fact-checking in India has become a business, spurning the creation of fact-checking websites such as BOOM, [[AltNews.in|Alt News]], Factly and SMHoaxSlayer.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/top-story/facebook-expands-fact-checking-network-in-india-adds-5-more-partners-to-spot-fake-news/story/318468.html |
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=== Countermeasures by social media companies === |
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⚫ |
In November 2019, the [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Indian ministry of information and broadcasting]] planned to set up a FACT checking module to counter the circulation of fake news by continuous monitoring of online news sources and publicly visible social media posts. The module will work on the four principles of "Find, Assess, Create and Target" (FACT). The module will initially will be run by information service officers.<ref>{{Cite news| |
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⚫ | In India, Facebook has partnered with fact-checking websites such as BOOM<ref name=":1" /> and Webqoof by [[The Quint]]. Following over 30 killings linked to rumours spread over WhatsApp, WhatsApp introduced various measures to curb the spread of misinformation, which included limiting the number of people a message could be forwarded to as well as introducing a tip-line among other measures such as suspending accounts and sending cease-and-desist letters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/02/tech/whatsapp-india-tip-line-election/index.html|title=WhatsApp now has a tip line for Indian election misinformation|last1=Iyengar|first1=Rishi|date=2 April 2019|publisher=CNN|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2018/inside-whatsapps-battle-against-misinformation-in-india/|title=Inside WhatsApp's battle against misinformation in India|last1=Rebelo|first1=Karen|date=17 December 2018|website=Poynter|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> WhatsApp also added a small tag, ''forwarded,'' to relevant messages. They also started a course for digital literacy and came out with full page advertisements in newspapers in multiple languages.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/story/how-whatsapp-fuels-fake-news-and-violence-in-india/|title=How WhatsApp Fuels Fake News and Violence in India|last1=McLaughlin|first1=Timothy|date=12 December 2018|work=Wired|access-date=29 August 2019|issn=1059-1028}}</ref> Twitter has also taken action to curb the spread of fake news such as deleting accounts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/06/whatsapp-deleting-two-million-accounts-per-month-to-stop-fake-news|title=WhatsApp 'deleting 2m accounts a month' to stop fake news|last1=Safi|first1=Michael|date=6 February 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 August 2019|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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Fake news in India refers to misinformationordisinformation[1] in the country which is spread through word of mouth and traditional media and more recently through digital forms of communication such as edited videos, memes, unverified advertisements and social media propagated rumours.[2][3] Fake news spread through social media in the country has become a serious problem, with the potential of it resulting in mob violence, as was the case where at least 20 people were killed in 2018 as a result of misinformation circulated on social media.[4][5]
Fake news is defined as stories purporting to be news that are intentionally and verifiably false and has the capacity to misinform and mislead readers.[6][7]Inacademic typology, fake news is classified into several forms along the axes of degree of facticity, motivation of deception and form of presentation; it includes satire and parody that have a basis in facts but can mislead when de-contextualised, it includes fabrications and manipulation of information which were created with the intent to deceive or mislead and also includes covert advertising and political propaganda which are aimed to deceive in an organised attempt to influence wider public opinion.[8] The UNESCO Handbook for Journalism Education and Training provides an additional distinction of two forms of fake news, one that is deliberately created with the intention of targeting and causing harm to a social group, an organisation, a person or a country, described as disinformation and the other being simple misinformation that wasn't created for the purpose of causing harm.[9] In India, fake news is predominantly disseminated by homegrown political disinformation campaigns.[6][10]
Misinformation related to coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is in the form of social media messages related to home remedies that have not been verified, fake advisories and conspiracy theories.[11][12] At least two people have been arrested for spreading fake news about the coronavirus pandemic.[13][14] To counteract this, over 400 Indian Scientists are working together to debunk false information about the virus, as of 14 April 2020.[15]
The CAA Protests led to a flooding of fake news and manipulated content on social media targeting the protesters and Delhi police alike. Members of the ruling BJP were seen to be sharing videos, falsely insinuating that the students of Aligarh Muslim University were raising anti-Hindu slogans.[16] The Supreme Court of India asked the central government of India to consider "a plea for publicising aims, objectives and the benefits of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to weed out fake news that was being circulated on the issue."[17][18] BJP leaders rolled out a phone number, asking people to give a missed call to show support for the act. The number was widely shared on twitter, with fake claims luring people with companionship with lonely women and free subscriptions to streaming platforms like Netflix.[19]
Indian security and intelligence agencies reportedly identified around 5000 social media handles from Pakistan which were "spreading fake and false propaganda" on CAA, some using "deep fake videos" in the process.[20] Social media platforms had mediators on look-out to curb fake, incendiary and communal news.[21]
Old pictures and videos were shared on social media, even by prominent personalities, giving a communal spin to the protests. Old images were also used to insinuate that the protests involved violence in many sites.[22][23][24] Similarly, some old clips involving police brutality were reposted and falsely purported to be linked with crackdown on CAA protesters.[16] BJP's IT Cell Head Amit Malviya shared distorted videos misrepresenting anti-CAA protesters to be chanting "Pakistan Zindabad" and disturbing slogans against the Hindu community.[25]
Fake news was very prevalent during the 2019 Indian general election.[26][27] Misinformation was prevalent at all levels of society during the build-up to the election.[28][29] The elections were called by some as "India's first WhatsApp elections", with WhatsApp being used by many as a tool of propaganda.[30][31]AsVICE and AltNews write, "parties have weaponized the platforms" and "misinformation was weaponized" respectively.[32][33]
India has 22 scheduled languages,[34] and vetting information in all of them becomes difficult for multinationals like Facebook, which has only gathered the resources to vet 10 of them, leaving languages like Sindhi, Odia and Kannada completely unvetted, as of May 2019[update].[35] Nevertheless, Facebook went on to remove nearly one million accounts a day, including ones spreading misinformation and fake news before the elections.[36]
A study by the EU DisinfoLab in 2019 found that at least "265 fake local news websites in more than 65 countries are managed by Indian influence networks with the aim of influencing international institutions along with elected representatives and swaying the public perception of Pakistan."[37] By 2020, the number of such pro-India fake news websites was revealed to have grown to 750 across 116 countries in an investigation titled the Indian Chronicles.[38] Prominent examples of fake news-spreading websites and online resources include OpIndia[39][40] and Postcard News.[41][42]
According to the BBC News, many of the fake news websites were being run by an Indian company called the Srivastava Group, which was responsible for anti-Pakistan lobbying efforts in Europe and was persistently linked to the dissemination of fake news and propaganda.[43][38] The websites, which are known to copy syndicated news content from other media outlets in order to appear as real news websites, plant opinion pieces and stories critical of Pakistan from individuals who belong to NGOs linked to their network.[43] The network attempts to influence decision-making organisations such as the UN Human Rights Council and European Parliament, where its primary aim is to "discredit Pakistan".[38] In October 2019, the network sponsored a controversial trip of a group of far-right European Parliament MPs to Indian-administered Kashmir, during which they also met prime minister Narendra Modi.[43] Domains operated by the group included the "Manchester Times", "Times of Los Angeles", "Times of Geneva" and "New Delhi Times" among others.[43] A common theme of their coverage tends to be on issues such as secessionist groups, minorities, human rights cases and terrorism in Pakistan.[43][44][45] The EU Chronicle, a Srivasta Group website which claimed to deliver news from the European Union, was found to have op-ed articles "falsely attributed to their authors, some of them European lawmakers", journalists who seemed to not exist, text plagiarised from other sources, and content mostly focused on Pakistan.[44] EPToday, another news website which highlighted anti-Pakistan material, was forced to shut down after it was similarly exposed according to Politico Europe.[44] As part of its efforts to project Indian lobbying interests, the network had resurrected fake personas of dead human rights activists and journalists, impersonated regular media agencies such as The Economist and Voice of America, used European Parliament letterheads, listed fake phone numbers and addresses including that of the UN on its websites, created obscure book publishing companies and public personalities, registered hundreds of fake NGOs, think tanks, informal groups and imam organisations, as well as conducted cybersquatting on Pakistani domains.[45] Most of the websites had a presence on social media such as Twitter.[45] It was also noted that following EU DisinfoLab's first report in 2019, some domains had closed only to be resurrected under different names later.[45] Researchers state that the main target of the fake websites' content is not readers in Europe, but rather mainstream Indian news outlets such as ANI[38] and Yahoo News India[45] who routinely reuse and republish their material and act as their conduit to hundreds of millions in India.[44]
Misinformation and disinformation related to Kashmir is widely prevalent.[46][47] There have been multiple instances of pictures from the Syrian and the Iraqi civil wars being passed off as from the Kashmir conflict with the intention of fueling unrest and backing insurgencies.[48][49][50]
In August 2019, following the Indian revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's Article 370, disinformation related to whether people were suffering or not, lack of supplies and other administration issues followed.[51][52] The official Twitter accounts of the CRPF and Kashmir Police apart from other government handles called out misinformation and disinformation in the region.[53] The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology assisted by getting Twitter to suspend accounts spreading fake inciteful news.[54] The Indian Army and media houses such as India Today denied various claims such as the Indian Army burning down houses,[55] the deaths of six personnel in cross border firing,[56] and a series of "torture" allegations made by activist Shehla Rashid via Twitter.[57][58] On the other hand, The New York Times claimed officials in New Delhi were portraying a sense of normality in the region, whereas "security personnel in Kashmir said large protests kept erupting". The newspaper quoted a soldier Ravi Kant saying "mobs of a dozen, two dozen, even more, sometimes with a lot of women, come out, pelt stones at us and run away."[59] The Supreme Court of India was told by the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that "not a single bullet has been fired by security forces after August 5", however BBC reported otherwise.[60][61] The Supreme Court went onto say that the center should make "every endeavor to restore the normalcy as early as possible."[60]
The damage caused due to fake news on social media has increased due to the growth of the internet penetration in India, which has risen from 137 million internet users in 2012 to over 600 million in 2019.[68] Fake news is also spread through Facebook and Twitter.[69][70][71]
Fake news is frequently used to target minorities and has become a significant cause of localised violence as well as large scale riots.[72] Engineered mass violence was instigated during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, through a disinformation campaign propagating the love jihad conspiracy theory and circulating a fake news video.[73]
Internet shutdowns are used by the government as a way to control social media rumours from spreading.[52][74] Ideas such as linking Aadhaar to social media accounts has been suggested to the Supreme Court of India by the Attorney General.[75]
In November 2019, the Indian ministry of information and broadcasting planned to set up a FACT checking module to counter the circulation of fake news by continuous monitoring of online news sources and publicly visible social media posts. The module will work on the four principles of "Find, Assess, Create and Target" (FACT). The module will initially will be run by information service officers.[76] Near the end of 2019, the Press Information Bureau (which comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) set up a fact-checking unit which would focus on verifying news related to the government.[77][78]
Journalists in Kashmir have been subjected to repeated criminal proceedings which led to three UN OHCHR Special Rapporteurs expressing concerns over a "pattern of silencing independent reporting on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir through the threat of criminal sanction", specifically mentioning journalists Gowhar Geelani, Masrat Zahra, Naseer Ganai and Peerzada Ashiq and reiterating the position affirmed at the 2017 Joint Declaration on Fake News, Disinformation and Propaganda that "general prohibitions on the dissemination of information based on vague and ambiguous ideas, including "false news" or "non objective information" are incompatible with international standards for restrictions on freedom of expression."[79][80]
The J&K administration released a new Media Policy-2020 on 15 May 2020 which read that "any individual or group indulging in fake news, unethical or anti national activities or in plagiarism shall be de-empaneled besides being proceeded against under law".[81] Writing for EPW, Geeta wrote that the policy would serve to "make citizens passive recipients of the information" disseminated by the government.[82] The Indian Express published an editorial stating that "at a time when democratic political voices remain missing" in the Union Territory, the policy is an "affront, intended to keep control of the narrative of J&K." The Press Council of India stated that the provisions regarding fake news affect the free functioning of the press.[83]
Fact-checking in India has become a business, spurning the creation of fact-checking websites such as BOOM, Alt News, Factly and SMHoaxSlayer.[84][85] Media houses also have their own fact-checking departments now such as the India Today Group, Times Internet has TOI Factcheck and The Quinthas WebQoof.[86][87] India Today Group, Vishvas.news, Factly, Newsmobile, and Fact Crescendo (all International Fact-Checking Network certified) are Facebook partners in fact-checking.[84]
In some parts of India like Kannur in Kerala, the government conducted fake news classes in government schools.[88] Some say the government should conduct more public-education initiatives to make the population more aware of fake news.[89]
In 2018, Google News launched a program to train 8000 journalists in seven official Indian languages including English. The program, Google's largest training initiative in the world, would spread awareness of fake news and anti-misinformation practices such as fact-checking.[90]
In India, Facebook has partnered with fact-checking websites such as BOOM[29] and Webqoof by The Quint. Following over 30 killings linked to rumours spread over WhatsApp, WhatsApp introduced various measures to curb the spread of misinformation, which included limiting the number of people a message could be forwarded to as well as introducing a tip-line among other measures such as suspending accounts and sending cease-and-desist letters.[91][92] WhatsApp also added a small tag, forwarded, to relevant messages. They also started a course for digital literacy and came out with full page advertisements in newspapers in multiple languages.[93] Twitter has also taken action to curb the spread of fake news such as deleting accounts.[94]
UNESCO has made the following distinction
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The network was designed primarily to "discredit Pakistan internationally" and influence decision-making at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and European Parliament, EU DisinfoLab said.
The websites all copy syndicated content from news organisations to make them look like real news sites. They then plant anti-Pakistan stories and opinion pieces from employees of NGOs linked to the network to serve India's lobbying interests, researchers found.
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