Page 4 - Fake News

Norms against deepfakes and misinformation after elections: Vaishnaw

The government asked digital platforms to provide technical and business process solutions to prevent and weed out misinformation that can potentially harm society and democracy, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said. He added that a well-thought legal structure against deepfakes and misinformation will be finalised after the elections. With poll season in India up ahead, digital platforms have upped election integrity efforts over the past weeks, while the government, through advisories and missives, has conveyed its zero tolerance for deepfakes and misinformation circulating on social media and other platforms. "...Misinformation in a vibrant and diverse democracy like ours, can really be very harmful. It can be harmful for society, for democracy, for the electoral process, and it can really impact our future and harmony of the society in a big way. "...So, we have been very categorical in our discussions with the platforms...they have taken many steps, they are continuously .

Google partners with news publishers to curb deepfakes ahead of elections

The company added that fact-checks in multiple Indian languages and formats, including videos, will be shared and amplified via partnering news publishers

Meta launches an integrated safety campaign to tackle misinformation

It will also encourage people to verify information that sounds suspicious or inaccurate via fact-checking organisations on WhatsApp Channels, said the company

Mamata Banerjee announces alternate Aadhaar card upon deactivation

UIDAI has declared that no Aadhaar number has been cancelled; BJP leaders assure that deactivated cards would be reactivated within 24 hour

EU, India explore cooperation in combatting misinformation in digital space

Over 35 experts from the European Union and India will hold extensive deliberations on Wednesday to unpack the security and policy aspects in jointly combating online disinformation campaigns. The peer-to-peer discussion in Delhi will explore trends in the use of disinformation online and encourage EU and Indian governmental and non-governmental actors to compare notes and share best practices for countering disinformation. The EU and India have on multiple occasions reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and accessible cyberspace that enables economic growth and innovation. The EU-India track 1.5 event -- 'Combatting disinformation online: EU and Indian perspectives' -- is the fourth roundtable being co-organised by the EU-funded project Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia (ESIWA) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the EU Delegation to India. The high-level meeting will feature speakers from across the EU such

TikTok ramps up fight against fake news, covert influence ahead of EU polls

The company worked with news checkers to produce educational videos about the electoral process and misinformation via the election centres during national elections in previous years

Oversight board of Meta warns rules on fake posts incoherent, too narrow

The board, which was set up in 2020 by management to independently review some of the company's most significant content moderation decisions

Poonam Pandey fake death: Company issues apology for actor's gimmick

Poonam Pandey's PR, Schbang has apologised for faking her death as part of a cervical cancer awareness campaign, prompting a controversy on the morality of such strategies

Tendulkar calls out his fake video, concerned about misuse of technology

Iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Monday dismissed as "fake" the video in which he is seen promoting a gaming application that lures users for easy money. The video shows Tendulkar talking about the merits of the application, saying he did not know that money making has become so easy and that his own daughter uses the platform. Tendulkar, one of the best cricketers to have graced the game of cricket, posted the video along with a message in which he expressed concern about misuse of technology. "These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers," Tendulkar, 50, posted on social media platform X. The voice used in the video matches Tendulkar's. "Social Media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and deepfakes," he wrote further. Govt mulling 'tighter rules' ================== Un

Fake news biggest immediate risk, extreme weather top long-term threat: WEF

With close to 300 crore people expected to head to elections across countries including India and the US in two years, misinformation and societal polarisation have emerged among the biggest immediate risks before the world, a global study showed on Wednesday. In the case of India alone, 'misinformation and disinformation' poses the top-most threat in the next two years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said in its annual 'Global Risks Report'. It is followed by infectious diseases, illicit economic activity, income inequality and labour shortage among the five biggest short-term risks. On a longer-term horizon of ten years, the biggest global risk would be from extreme weather events. The report warned of a global risk landscape in which progress in human development is being chipped away slowly, leaving states and individuals vulnerable to new and resurgent risks. "Against a backdrop of systemic shifts in global power dynamics, climate, technology and demographics, global risks ar

MeitY issues advisory to curb deepfakes & misinformation on social media

Last month, PM Modi had also stressed the need for creating better awareness among people about the pitfalls of artificial intelligence, especially the potential of misuse of deepfakes

Poor quality results on search engines contribute to misinformation: Study

A study has found that people who performed online searches to verify the truthfulness of a piece of possible misinformation actually ended up believing it due to "poor quality results" from search engines. The findings, according to researchers, flag the need for online search engines to address the challenge posed by the appearance of non-credible information at the top of search results. The study conducted by a research team from the University of Central Florida, New York University and Stanford University, US, aimed at understanding the impact of search results produced when people used search engines to evaluate the veracity of news. The findings, published in the journal Nature, highlighted the need for media literacy programs to ground recommendations in empirically tested interventions and search engines to invest in solutions to the challenges identified by this study. "Our study shows that the act of searching online to evaluate news increases belief in highly popular .

Narayana Murthy cautions the public not to fall prey to deep fake videos

The videos have a deep fake voice of Murthy endorsing an investment platform Quantum AI that claimed to partner with Elon Musk

PIB fact check unit busts nine YouTube channels spreading fake news

The Press Information Bureau's fact check unit has busted nine YouTube channels allegedly spreading fake news and misinformation in India, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on Friday. These nine YouTube channels identified by the PIB's fact check unit are Bharat Ekta News', Bajrang Education', Bj News', Sansani Live TV', GVT News', Daily Study', Ab Bolega Bharat', Sarkari Yojana Official' and Aapke Guruji', according to a list released by the ministry. "The PIB Fact Check Unit (FCU) has busted nine YouTube channels spreading fake news and misinformation in India. The Fact Check Unit released multiple fact-checks in nine separate Twitter threads to counter the false information spread by these channels," the ministry said. Their subscribers' base ranges from 11,700 to 34.70 lakh. These YouTube channels misattributed derogatory statements to persons occupying constitutional positions, including the Chief Justice of India, Prime Minister, Chief Election Commissioner, t

'Media must act as responsible pillar of democracy, call out fake news'

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said there are "individuals and media outlets" who consistently spread fake propaganda against 'Bharat', both domestically and internationally, and stressed that media must act as a responsible pillar of the democracy, calling out fake narratives in the open. "It is our collective responsibility to challenge such narratives, expose the falsehoods, and ensure that truth prevails," he said. "It is essential to safeguard the interests of our nation and avoid providing space to anti-India views that can threaten the unity and integrity we hold dear," Thakur added. The minister was addressing an event organised here by the Press Council of India (PCI) to mark the National Press Day. "Even as we celebrate the freedom of the press, we cannot turn a blind eye to those who seek to undermine the spirit of our nation. There are individuals and media outlets that consistently spread fake propaganda against Bharat, both domestically

MCA launches framework for self-governing standards on fact-checking

A framework for trusted fact-checkers in India has been under discussion for over 10 months

Social media giants step up vigil as India gears up for election season

Experts also underline the importance of platforms maintaining internal capabilities for fact-checking through human reviewers

Centre directs YouTube to put disclaimers on 'fake news' channels

Attempt to bring down misinformation before elections

Stronger misinformation norms on the cards for social media companies

The committee members also expressed dissatisfaction with the inefficiencies and delays in redressing user grievances about the content on social media platforms

Karnataka govt plans to set up fact-checking teams to tackle fake news

Karnataka government has floated an 'Expression of Interest' (EOI) for empanelment of agencies to set up an Information Disorder Tackling Unit for it, aimed at tackling misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and fake news. The Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) has floated the EOI and the deadline for proposal submission is October 16. Minister for IT/BT Priyank Kharge said that the government of Karnataka is serious about tackling misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and fake news. The EOI has been floated for empanelment of agencies to set up such a unit for the government. In a post on social media platform X, he said, "The EoI includes: Fact Verification Team -- This group will consist of impartial fact-checking organisations chosen by the state government to detect and address false information; Analytics Squad: Utilising advanced technologies such as data analytics and Artificial Intelligence, this team will actively oversee the ecosystem of .