#FactCheck - Deepfake Video Falsely Claims Indian Defence Secretary Admitted Pakistan ‘Jammed Indian Systems’
Executive Summary
A video allegedly showing India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh making remarks about Pakistan’s cyber capabilities is being widely shared on social media. The clip claims that Singh admitted Pakistan had “jammed Indian systems” on May 10 and described Pakistan’s cyber and electronic warfare capabilities as a major challenge for India. Research by CyberPeace Research Wing found that the viral clip is an AI-generated deepfake being circulated to spread misinformation. Rajesh Kumar Singh never made any such statement.
Claim
An X user shared the viral video claiming that India’s Defence Secretary had acknowledged Pakistan’s technological superiority. The post alleged that Singh admitted Pakistan successfully jammed Indian systems and claimed that India was lagging behind in cyber and electronic warfare technology.
Fact Check
To verify the claim, we searched relevant keywords on Google but found no credible media reports carrying such a statement from the Defence Secretary. We then extracted keyframes from the viral clip and conducted a reverse image search. During the research, we found the original video uploaded on the YouTube channel of ANI on April 30, 2026.
A review of the full video confirmed that Rajesh Kumar Singh never made the remarks heard in the viral clip. The original footage had been manipulated and altered using AI-generated audio techniques.
Conclusion
Our research confirms that the viral video is fake and AI-manipulated. The statement attributed to India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh is fabricated, and the deepfake clip is being shared with misleading claims to spread disinformation.
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Introduction
On April 30, 2025, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment that cast a sharp light on one of the most overlooked yet pressing issues in modern governance—digital inequity. In a country that has a staggering 900 million Internet users, the ruling highlights a disheartening reality, a paradox that brings the “digital divide” to centre stage. While India may be the world’s second-largest online market, a significant segment of its population remains digitally disenfranchised. The judgment, delivered in response to two interconnected petitions, underscored that access to the internet is no longer a luxury but a lifeline integral to exercising fundamental rights. The court pointed out in clear terms that the government must build a digital ecosystem that is inclusive and accessible to all and attributed the right to digital access as an intrinsic part of the right to life and liberty under Article 21 as enshrined under the Indian Constitution.
Understanding the Context: What Prompted the Petitions?
The judgment springs out of two writ petitions, which sought instructions or guidelines for people with blindness or limited vision and acid attack survivors, respectively, to conduct digital Know Your Customer (KYC)/e-KYC/video KYC mandated by RBI’s KYC Master Directions, 2016, which were reserved for judgment on January 28. The court delivered the judgment on April 30, 2025, emphasising the fact that true inclusion in this digital era is confounded in an inclusive digital infrastructure, and it must provide reasonable accommodation to those who face impediments due to any disability or disfigurement.
In consonance with its view, it laid down various guidelines that ensure that all persons with disabilities or acid attack survivors are treated even when digital processes are involved in accordance with the provisions of the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (hereinafter referred to as “RPwD Act”)
Another major observation made by the Honourable SC judges is that the mode of facilitation of government services is through digital platforms, i.e., e-governance, and access to all these welfare schemes is the right of every citizen, irrespective of the fact that they suffer from any disability. The failure of the provisioning of e-governance of these facilities to these individuals is a gross failure of the objectives of these schemes.
Key Observations and Directives
The court directed the government to release fresh guidelines that establish alternative methods to conduct digital KYC/e-KYC for all persons who suffer any impairment, low vision, or disfigurement with greater sensitivity, particularly for acid-attack survivors. The court made its intention very clear that the right to digital access is intrinsic to the right to life and liberty. All the tasks that are included within the ambit of digital KYC, such as pen-on-paper signatures, screen signatures, and the brief window for OTP entry, create an inaccessible and exclusionary framework, violating not just the dignity but the legal rights granted protection under the RPwD Act, 2016. The ruling directs a fundamental reimagining of digital governance through the lens of inclusion, equality, and dignity.
Conclusion
The court is not mincing its words when it declares digital accessibility as a constitutional imperative; it has made it clear that bridging the digital divide is no longer optional but a legal duty. The decision marks the new beginning and a propeller of digital transformation, and a delightful amalgamation of digital access and the rights of people. The effect of this judgment will not be restricted to one class of people. Still, it will cater to all those individuals who face these obstacles on a daily basis due to the exclusionary nature of digital platforms.
References
Executive Summary
A video showing a massive fire in a high-rise building is being widely shared on social media. The footage shows a tall building engulfed in flames with thick smoke rising from it. Users are circulating the video with multiple claims. Some social media users claim that the video is from Tehran, Iran, where Israel allegedly carried out an attack on the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Others are sharing the same video as an alleged strike by the United States Air Force on the IRGC headquarters. CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found the claim to be misleading. The video is not related to any Israeli or U.S. military strike on Iran’s IRGC. In reality, it shows a massive fire that broke out in a skyscraper in Changsha, China, in 2022.
Claim
On Facebook, a user shared the viral video on 3 July 2026, claiming: “Israel has carried out a massive attack on IRGC headquarters in Tehran, Iran. The headquarters has been destroyed in the strike.” The post link, archive link, and screenshots are provided below.
https://archive.ph/7BknH
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1530020795436530
Fact Check
During verification, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and performed a reverse image search using Google Lens. The research led us to the same footage uploaded on the official YouTube channel of Hindustan Times on 16 September 2022. According to the video description, the incident shows a massive fire at a high-rise building in Changsha, China, not any military strike in Iran.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cphle9wkjCE
The video description states that the incident took place in a 42-storey building in Changsha, which housed the offices of the state-owned telecommunications company China Telecom. Authorities had initially confirmed that no casualties were reported. Further research led us to a report published on The Guardian website three years ago, which also contained visuals matching the viral footage.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/16/major-fire-breaks-out-at-skyscraper-in-changsha-china
According to The Guardian report, the 42-storey, 218-metre-high building was constructed in 2000 and is located near a major ring road. The report also confirmed that there were no reported fatalities in the incident.
Conclusion
The research clearly found that the viral video does not show an Israeli or U.S. attack on Iran’s IRGC headquarters. The footage is from a massive fire that broke out in a skyscraper in Changsha, China, in 2022. Therefore, the claim being circulated on social media is false and misleading.
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Introduction
Over-the-Top (OTT) streaming platforms have become a significant part of Indian entertainment consumption, offering users the ability to watch films, web series, and short-format videos directly online. These platforms operate on a subscription-based model, allowing for creative freedom, but they also lack clear accountability. On certain platforms, some content has been criticised for focusing on sensational or sexually explicit themes, particularly targeting young viewers seeking risqué entertainment. Such applications lack strong age verification mechanisms and offer ‘user access’ with minimal restrictions, which raises serious concerns about exposure to obscene content. This has triggered serious concerns among regulators, civil society organisations, advocacy and parental groups about the accessibility of such material and its potential influence, especially on minors.
Blocking order issued by the Ministry of Broadcasting and Information (MIB)
On 23rd July 2025, the Government of India, invoking powers under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, has issued a ‘blocking order’ against 25 OTT platforms. A total of 26 websites and 14 mobile applications of the said OTT platforms were on the list, including several prominent OTT platforms for alleged distribution of obscene, vulgar and pornographic content in some cases. This regulatory action follows previous statutory advice and repeated warnings to the platforms in question, some of which continued to operate through new domains and disobeyed Indian laws and regulations.
This action was taken by the Ministry of Broadcasting and Information (MIB) in consultation with Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Legal Affairs, industry bodies and experts in the field of women rights and child rights.
The list of OTT Platforms covered under the said ‘Blocking Order’
The list includes - Big Shots App, Desiflix, Boomex, NeonX VIP, Navarasa Lite, Gulab App, Kangan App, Bull App, ShowHit, Jalva App, Wow Entertainment, Look Entertainment, Hitprime, Fugi, Feneo, ShowX, Sol Talkies, Adda TV, ALTT, HotX VIP, Hulchul App, MoodX, Triflicks, Ullu, and Mojflix.
The government has explicitly directed Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) to disable or remove public access to these websites within India.
Recent Judicial and Centre’s Interventions
- To refresh the memory, last year in March 2024, the Ministry of I&B blocked 18 OTT Platforms for Obscene and Vulgar Content.
- In April 2025, the Apex Court of India heard a petition on the prohibition of streaming of sexually explicit content on over-the-top (OTT) and social media platforms. In response to the petition, the Apex court stated, ‘It's not our domain, the centre has to take action and highlighted the need for executive action in the matter. The apex court has also issued notice to the Centre, OTT platforms, as well as social media platforms in response to a petition seeking a ban on sexually explicit content. (Uday Mahurkar & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors. [WP(C) 313/2025])
- The following recent blocking order dated 23rd July 2025 by the Ministry of I&B is a welcome and commendable step that reflects the government’s firm stance against illicit content on OTT platforms. Kangana Ranaut, Actress and politician, while speaking to a news agency, has appreciated the government's move to ban OTT platforms such as Ullu, ALTT, and Desiflix for showing soft porn content.
Conclusion
The centre’s intervention sends a clear message that OTT platforms cannot remain exempt from accountability. The move is a response to the growing concern of harms caused by unregulated digital content and non-compliances by the platforms, particularly in relation to illicit material, and broader violations of decency laws in India. However, the enforcement must now go beyond issuing orders and require a robust measurable compliance framework for OTT platforms.
In today’s fast-paced era, when subscription-based content platforms place vast libraries at users' fingertips, the government's action is necessary and proportionate, marking a decisive step toward safer digital and healthy regulated environments.
References
- https://www.newsonair.gov.in/govt-bans-25-ott-websites-apps-over-vulgar-and-pornographic-content/
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/big-shots-ullu-altt-desiflix-mojflix-and-20-other-ott-apps-banned-what-governments-ban-order-says/articleshow/122918803.cms
- https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/centre-bans-ott-platforms-ullu-altt-desiflix-for-obscene-content-8947100
- https://foxmandal.in/News/sc-takes-note-of-obscenity-plea-issues-notice-to-ott-platforms/
- https://www.morungexpress.com/kangana-ranaut-calls-banning-ott-platforms-for-soft-porn-content-a-much-appreciated-move
- https://www.livemint.com/news/india/do-something-supreme-court-to-centre-ott-platforms-on-obscene-content-pil-netflix-amazon-prime-ullu-altt-x-facebook-11745823594972.html
