#FactCheck - Digitally Altered Video of Olympic Medalist, Arshad Nadeem’s Independence Day Message

Introduction

In today's era of digitalised community and connections, social media has become an integral part of our lives. we use social media to connect with our friends and family, and social media is also used for business purposes. Social media offers us numerous opportunities and ease to connect and communicate with larger communities. While it also poses some challenges, while we use social media, we come across issues such as inappropriate content, online harassment, online stalking, account hacking, misuse of personal information or data,  privacy issues, fake accounts, Intellectual property violation issues, abusive and dishearted content, content against the terms and condition policy of the platform and more. To deal with such issues, social media entities have proper reporting mechanisms and set terms and conditions guidelines to effectively prevent such issues and by addressing them in the best possible way by platform help centre or reporting mechanism.

‍

The Role of Help Centers in Resolving User Complaints:

The help centres are established on platforms to address user complaints and provide satisfactory assistance or resolution. Addressing user complaints is a key component of maintaining a safe and secure digital environment for users. Platform-centric help centres play a vital role in providing users with a resource to seek assistance and report their issues.

‍

Some common issues reported on social media:

‍

• Reporting abusive content: Users can report content that they find abusive, offensive, or in violation of platform policies. These reports are reviewed by the help centre.
• Reporting CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material): CSAM content can be reported to platform help centre. Social media platforms have stringent policies in place to address such concerns and ensure a safe digital environment for everyone, including children.
• Reporting Misinformation or Fake News: With the proliferation of misinformation online, users can report content that they find or suspect misleading or false information and Fact-checking bodies are employed to assess the accuracy of reported content.
• Content violating intellectual property rights: If there is a violation or infringement of any intellectual property work, it can be reported on the platform. 
• Violence of commercial policies: Products listed on social media platforms are also needed to comply with the platform’s  Commercial Policies.

‍

Submitting a Complaint to the Indian Grievance Officer for Facebook:

A user can report his issue through the below-mentioned websites:

• https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/278770247037228

• https://www.facebook.com/help/263149623790594

‍

The user can go to the Facebook Help Center, where go to the "Reporting a Problem” section, then by clicking on Reporting a Problem, Choose the Appropriate Issue that best describes your complaint. For example, if you have encountered inappropriate or abusive content, select the ‘I found inappropriate or abusive content’ option.

‍

Here is a list of issues which you can report on Facebook:

• My account has been hacked.
• I've lost access to a page or a group I used to manage.
• I've found a fake profile or a profile that's pretending to be me.
• I am being bullied or harassed.
• I found inappropriate or abusive content.
• I want to report content showing me in nudity/partial nudity or in a sexual act.
• I (or someone I am legally responsible for) appear in content that I do not want to be displayed.
• I am a law enforcement official seeking to access user data.
• I am a government official or a court officer seeking to submit an order, notice or direction.
• I want to download my personal data or report an issue with how Facebook is processing my data.
• I want to report an Intellectual Property infringement.
• I want to report another issue.

‍

Then, describe your issues and attach supporting evidence such as screenshots, then submit your report. After submitting a report, you will receive a confirmation that your report has been submitted to the platform. The platform will review the complaint within the stipulated time period, and users can also check the status of their filed complaint. Appropriate action will be taken by platforms after reviewing such complaints. If it violates any standard policy, terms & conditions, or privacy policies of the platform, the platform will take down that content or will take any other appropriate action.

‍

Conclusion: 

It is important to be aware of your rights in a digital landscape and report such issues to the platform. It is essential to understand how to report your issues or grievances on social media platforms effectively. By using the help centre or reporting mechanism of the platform, users can effectively file their complaints on the platform and contribute to a safer and more responsible online environment. Social media platforms have their compliance framework and privacy and policy guidelines in place to ensure the compliance framework for community standards and legal requirements. So, whenever you encounter an issue on social media, report it on the platform and contribute to a safer digital environment on social media platforms.

‍

References: 

• https://www.cyberyodha.org/2023/09/how-to-submit-complaint-to-indian.html
• https://transparency.fb.com/en-gb/enforcement/taking-action/complaints-handling-process/
• https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/278770247037228
• https://www.facebook.com/help/263149623790594

‍

Introduction

The United Nations (UN) has unveiled a set of principles, known as the 'Global Principles for Information Integrity', to combat the spread of online misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. These guidelines aim to address the widespread harm caused by false information on digital platforms. The UN's Global Principles are based on five core principles: social trust and resilience, independent, free, and pluralistic media, healthy incentives, transparency and research, and public empowerment. The UN chief emphasized that the threats to information integrity are not new but are now spreading at unprecedented speeds due to digital platforms and artificial intelligence technologies.

These principles aim to enhance global cooperation in order to create a safer online environment. It was further highlighted that the spread of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and other risks in the information environment poses threats to democracy, human rights, climate action, and public health. This impact is intensified by the emergence of rapidly advancing Artificial Intelligence Technology (AI tech) that poses a growing threat to vulnerable groups in information environments.

The Highlights of Key Principles

1. Societal Trust and Resilience: Trust in information sources and the ability and resilience to handle disruptions are critical for maintaining information integrity. Both are at risk from state and non-state actors exploiting the information ecosystem.
2. Healthy Incentives: Current business models reliant on targeted advertising threaten information integrity. The complex, opaque nature of digital advertising benefits large tech companies and it requires reforms to ensure transparency and accountability.
3. Public Empowerment: People require the capability to manage their online interactions, the availability of varied and trustworthy information, and the capacity to make informed decisions. Media and digital literacy are crucial, particularly for marginalized populations.
4. Independent, Free, and Pluralistic Media: A free press supports democracy by fostering informed discourse, holding power accountable, and safeguarding human rights. Journalists must operate safely and freely, with access to diverse news sources.
5. Transparency and research: Technology companies must be transparent about how information is propagated and how personal data is used. Research and privacy-preserving data access should be encouraged to address information integrity gaps while protecting those investigating and reporting on these issues.

Stakeholders Called for Action

Stakeholders, including technology companies, AI actors, advertisers, media, researchers, civil society organizations, state and political actors, and the UN, have been called to take action under the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity. These principles should be used to build and participate in broad cross-sector coalitions that bring together diverse expertise from civil society, academia, media, government, and the international private sector, focussing on capacity-building and meaningful youth engagement through dedicated advisory groups. Additionally, collaboration is required to develop multi-stakeholder action plans at regional, national, and local levels, engaging communities in grassroots initiatives and ensuring that youth are fully and meaningfully involved in the process.

Implementation and Monitoring

To effectively implement the UN Global Principles at large requires developing a multi-stakeholder action plan at various levels such as at the regional, national, and local levels. These plans should be informed and created by advice and counsel from an extensive range of communities including any of the grassroots initiatives having a deep understanding of regional challenges and their specific needs. Monitoring and evaluation are also regarded as essential components of the implementation process. Regular assessments of the progress, combined with the flexibility to adapt strategies as needed, will help ensure that the principles are effectively translated into practice.

Challenges and Considerations

Implementing these Global Principles of the UN will have certain challenges. The complexities that the digital landscape faces with the rapid pace of technological revamp, and alterations in the diversity of cultural and political contexts all present significant hurdles. Furthermore, the efforts to combat misinformation must be balanced with protecting fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of expression and privacy. Addressing these challenges to counter informational integrity will require continuous and ongoing collaboration with constant dialogue among stakeholders towards a commitment to innovation and continuous learning. It is also important to recognise and address the power imbalance within the information ecosystem, ensuring that all voices are heard and that any person, specifically, the marginalised communities is not cast aside.

Conclusion

The UN Global Principles for Online Misinformation and Information Integrity provide a comprehensive framework for addressing the critical challenges that are present while facing information integrity today. Advocating and promoting societal trust, healthy incentives, public empowerment, independent media, and transparency, these principles offer a passage towards a more resilient and trustworthy digital environment. The future success of these principles depends upon the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, working together to safeguard the integrity of information for everyone.

References

• https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/un-unveils-global-principles-to-combat-online-misinformation-hate-speech-124062500317_1.html
• https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2024/06/global-principles-information-integrity-launch/ 
• https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/un-global-principles-for-information-integrity-en.pdf
• https://www.un.org/en/content/common-agenda-report/assets/pdf/Common_Agenda_Report_English.pdf 

‍

Executive Summary:

A video online alleges that people are chanting "India India" as Ohio Senator J.D. Vance meets them at the Republican National Convention (RNC). This claim is not correct. The CyberPeace Research team’s investigation showed that the video was digitally changed to include the chanting. The unaltered video was shared by “The Wall Street Journal” and confirmed via the YouTube channel of “Forbes Breaking News”, which features different music performing while Mr. and Mrs. Usha Vance greeted those present in the gathering. So the claim that participants chanted "India India" is not real.

‍

Claims:

A video spreading on social media shows attendees chanting "India-India" as Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance greet them at the Republican National Convention (RNC).

‍

Post link

‍

‍

Post link

‍

Fact Check:

Upon receiving the posts, we did keyword search related to the context of the viral video. We found a video uploaded by The Wall Street Journal on July 16, titled "Watch: J.D. Vance Is Nominated as Vice Presidential Nominee at the RNC," at the time stamp 0:49. We couldn’t hear any India-India chants whereas in the viral video, we can clearly hear it. 

We also found the video on the YouTube channel of Forbes Breaking News. In the timestamp at 3:00:58, we can see the same clip as the viral video but no “India-India” chant could be heard.

‍

Hence, the claim made in the viral video is false and misleading.

‍

Conclusion:

The viral video claiming to show "India-India" chants during Ohio Senator J.D. Vance's greeting at the Republican National Convention is altered. The original video, confirmed by sources including “The Wall Street Journal” and “Forbes Breaking News” features different music without any such chants. Therefore, the claim is false and misleading.

‍

Claim: A video spreading on social media shows attendees chanting "India-India" as Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance greet them at the Republican National Convention (RNC).

Claimed on: X 

Fact Check: Fake & Misleading

‍