#FactCheck - Viral Video Misrepresented as Reaction to Pakistan’s Defeat in T20 World Cup

Introduction

Misinformation in India has emerged as a significant societal challenge, wielding a potent influence on public perception, political discourse, and social dynamics. A potential number of first-time voters across India identified fake news as a real problem in the nation. With the widespread adoption of digital platforms, false narratives, manipulated content, and fake news have found fertile ground to spread unchecked information and news.

In the backdrop of India being the largest market of WhatsApp users, who forward more content on chats than anywhere else, the practice of fact-checking forwarded information continues to remain low. The heavy reliance on print media, television, unreliable news channels and primarily, social media platforms acts as a catalyst since studies reveal that most Indians trust any content forwarded by family and friends. It is noted that out of all risks, misinformation and disinformation ranked the highest in India, coming before infectious diseases, illicit economic activity, inequality and labour shortages. World Economic Forum analysts, in connection with their 2024 Global Risk Report, note that “misinformation and disinformation in electoral processes could seriously destabilise the real and perceived legitimacy of newly elected governments, risking political unrest, violence and terrorism and long-term erosion of democratic processes.”

The Supreme Court of India on Misinformation

The Supreme Court of India, through various judgements, has noted the impact of misinformation on democratic processes within the country, especially during elections and voting. In 1995, while adjudicating a matter pertaining to keeping the broadcasting media under the control of the public, it noted that democracy becomes a farce when the medium of information is monopolized either by partisan central authority or by private individuals or oligarchic organizations. 

In 2003, the Court stated that “Right to participate by casting a vote at the time of election would be meaningless unless the voters are well informed about all sides of the issue in respect of which they are called upon to express their views by casting their votes. Disinformation, misinformation, non-information all equally create an uninformed citizenry which would finally make democracy a mobocracy and a farce.” It noted that elections would be a useless procedure if voters remained unaware of the antecedents of the candidates contesting elections. Thus, a necessary aspect of a voter’s duty to cast intelligent and rational votes is being well-informed. Such information forms one facet of the fundamental right under Article 19 (1)(a) pertaining to freedom of speech and expression. Quoting James Madison, it stated that a citizen’s right to know the true facts about their country’s administration is one of the pillars of a democratic State.

On a similar note, the Supreme Court, while discussing the disclosure of information by an election candidate, gave weightage to the High Court of Bombay‘s opinion on the matter, which opined that non-disclosure of information resulted in misinformation and disinformation, thereby influencing voters to take uninformed decisions. It stated that a voter had the elementary right to know the full particulars of a candidate who is to represent him in Parliament/Assemblies.

While misinformation was discussed primarily in relation to elections, the effects of misinformation in other sectors have also been discussed from time to time. In particular, The court highlighted the World Health Organisation’s observation in 2021 while discussing the spread of COVID-19, noting that the pandemic was not only an epidemic but also an “infodemic” due to the overabundance of information on the internet, which was riddled with misinformation and disinformation. While condemning governments’ direct or indirect threats of prosecution to citizens, it noted that various citizens who relied on the internet to provide help in securing medical facilities and oxygen tanks were being targeted by alleging that the information posted by them was false and was posted to create panic, defame the administration or damage national image. It instructed authorities to cease such threats and prevent clampdown on information sharing.

More recently, in Facebook v. Delhi Legislative Assembly [(2022) 3 SCC 529], the apex court, while upholding the summons issued to Facebook by the Delhi Legislative Assembly in the aftermath of the 2020 Delhi Riots, noted that while social media enables equal and open dialogue between citizens and policymakers, it is also a tool in the where extremist views are peddled into mainstream media, thereby spreading misinformation. It noted Facebook’s role in the Mynmar, where misinformation and posts that Facebook employees missed fueled offline violence. Since Facebook is one of the most popular social media applications, the platform itself acts as a power center by hosting various opinions and voices on its forum. This directly impacts the governance of States, and some form of liability must be attached to the platform. The Supreme Court objected to Facebook taking contrary stands in various jurisdictions; while in the US, it projected itself as a publisher, which enabled it to maintain control over the material disseminated from its platform, while in India, “it has chosen to identify itself purely as a social media platform, despite its similar functions and services in the two countries.”

Conclusion

The pervasive issue of misinformation in India is a multifaceted challenge with profound implications for democratic processes, public awareness, and social harmony. The alarming statistics of fake news recognition among first-time voters, coupled with a lack of awareness regarding fact-checking organizations, underscore the urgency of addressing this issue. The Supreme Court of India has consistently recognized the detrimental impact of misinformation, particularly in elections. The judiciary has stressed the pivotal role of an informed citizenry in upholding the essence of democracy. It has emphasized the right to access accurate information as a fundamental aspect of freedom of speech and expression. As India grapples with the challenges of misinformation, the intersection of technology, media literacy and legal frameworks will be crucial in mitigating the adverse effects and fostering a more resilient and informed society.

References

• https://thewire.in/media/survey-finds-false-information-risk-highest-in-india 
• https://www.statista.com/topics/5846/fake-news-in-india/#topicOverview
• https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2024/digest/  
• https://main.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2020/20428/20428_2020_37_1501_28386_Judgement_08-Jul-2021.pdf
• Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt, of India and Others v. Cricket Association of Bengal and Another [(1995) 2 SCC 161]
• People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) v. Union of India [(2003) 4 SCC 399]
• Kisan Shankar Kathore v. Arun Dattatray Sawant and Others [(2014) 14 SCC 162]
• Distribution of Essential Supplies & Services During Pandemic, In re [(2021) 18 SCC 201]
• Facebook v. Delhi Legislative Assembly [(2022) 3 SCC 529]

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Executive Summary:

A viral post currently circulating on various social media platforms claims that Reliance Jio is offering a ₹700 Holi gift to its users, accompanied by a link for individuals to claim the offer. This post has gained significant traction, with many users engaging in it in good faith, believing it to be a legitimate promotional offer. However, after careful investigation, it has been confirmed that this post is, in fact, a phishing scam designed to steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting users. This report seeks to examine the facts surrounding the viral claim, confirm its fraudulent nature, and provide recommendations to minimize the risk of falling victim to such scams.

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Claim: 

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Reliance Jio is offering a ₹700 reward as part of a Holi promotional campaign, accessible through a shared link.

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Fact Check:

Upon review, it has been verified that this claim is misleading. Reliance Jio has not provided any promo deal for Holi at this time. The  Link being forwarded is considered a phishing scam to steal personal and financial user details. There are no reports of this promo offer on Jio’s official website or verified social media accounts. The URL included in the message does not end in the official Jio domain, indicating a fake website. The website requests for the personal information of individuals so that it could be used for unethical cyber crime activities. Additionally, we checked the link with the ScamAdviser website, which flagged it as suspicious and unsafe.

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Conclusion:

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The viral post claiming that Reliance Jio is offering a ₹700 Holi gift is a phishing scam. There is no legitimate offer from Jio, and the link provided leads to a fraudulent website designed to steal personal and financial information. Users are advised not to click on the link and to report any suspicious content. Always verify promotions through official channels to protect personal data from cybercriminal activities.

• Claim: Users can claim ₹700 by participating in Jio's Holi offer.
• Claimed On: Social Media
• Fact Check: False and Misleading 

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Cyber, is the new weapon today! Cyber Violence is violence in cyber-space that has led to violation of cyber rights of individuals, especially those of children and women. Online violence and harassment have been overlooked laying more emphasis on offline or physical violence.

New Delhi [India], November 12 (ANI/NewsVoir): Cyber, is the new weapon today! Cyber Violence is violence in cyber-space that has led to violation of cyber rights of individuals, especially those of children and women. Online violence and harassment have been overlooked laying more emphasis on offline or physical violence. Cyber violence very often permanently, psychologically impacts the victims and their families. Various forms of threats ranging from morphing, stalking, solicitation of children for sexual purposes, online grooming, have grave consequences on the victims disturbing their mental well-being. Maintaining mental well-being in cyber space is a challenge we wish to promote and advocate for, in order to build responsible netizens.

Together, we stand against violation of cyber rights and strongly believe; it is critical to allow everyone to feel safe online. Netizen’s safety rights must be protected from all kinds of abuse and violence. Setting a mission of ‘Making India Cyber Safe for Children and Women’, Responsible Netism a social purpose organization in association with CyberPeace Foundation, an award-winning Cyber Security think tank working towards bringing CyberPeace in CyberSpace for more than two decades, host its 6th Annual National Conference on Cyber Psychology themed “India Fights Cyber Violence”, scheduled for Saturday, January 22, 2022. Ta advocate on the theme, the campaign #IndiaFightsCyberViolence was launched on November 11, 2021 by Vinay Sahasrabuddhe – President ICCR, Member of Parliament, Priyank Kanoongo – Chairperson, NCPCR and Rekha Sharma, Chairperson NCW at the ICCR Auditorium Delhi. The session was also attended by the CyberPeace Foundation team members.

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has been a strong advocate of online safety of children, he shared his visionary words and focused on 3 R’s, Research, Reform and Reshape. He recommended extensive research was necessary to strongly voice concerns and remedies based on evidence-based research which would help us reform intervention strategies and the reshape the existing framework to best suit the needs to protect women and children in cyber space. The NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma shared how critical it is to create awareness about online safety rights of women and reiterated the need for spreading awareness about online safety to reach the last mile in order to build collective action and bring change. She also mentioned the need to conducting nationwide trainings for the police personal to handle and report online distress.

Priyank Kanoongo, the Chairperson of NCPCR has been very proactively advocating for the cause of child online protection and has been instrumental in voicing critical in fiercely voicing his thoughts on protecting online safety rights of children across India. He shared the following thoughts at the launch. He said there is dire need to educate parents about online safety in order to let the information trickle down to their children. He said NCPCR does not hold any inhibitions in naming and shaming violators of child rights be it offline or online and will always raise a strong voice against platform ‘s inability to protect children in cyber space.

Vineet Kumar, Founder and Global President, CyberPeace Foundation, the partnering organization shared that this nationwide movement will build great momentum on the cause of online protection of children and women cross the country and urged organizations across India to pledge their support to the cause. The more people joining this movement would build collective pressure to formulate guidelines and policies the make cyber space safe for children and women. Sonali Patankar – Founder Responsible Netism shared the objective of the campaign was to let online safety reach the last mile and build on aggressive reporting of online content. The movement was an effort to make the campaign India Fights Cyber Violence to make India cyber safe for children.

She shared that the campaign launch would be followed by a nationwide research conducted to understand parents perspectives on cyber violence which would be handy in representing recommendations on women and child safety protocols through commoners. There would be a round table for organizations working with children chaired by Priyank Kanoongo on November 22 followed by a round table held for organizations working with Women chaired by Rekha Sharma Madam on December 22, 2021. The campaign would culminate in the Responsible Netism 6th National Cyber Psychology Conference scheduled for January 22, 2022 that would witness a compilation of the research and the work done throughout the campaign.

The launch was attended by Sujay Patki – Social Activist and Advisor Responsible Netism and Shilpa Chandolikar trustee Responsible Netism, Adv Khushbu Jain Advocate Supreme Court of India followed by the vote of thanks by Unmesh Joshi – Co-founder Responsible Netism. With the success of the launch and the support of NCPCR and NCW, we are sure to make this a nation-wide movement to protect cyber safety rights of netizens and strongly believe in collective action to make India Cyber Safe for Women and Children.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/1804283-cyberpeace-foundation-and-responsible-netism-launches-campaign-india-fights-cyber-violence-against-women-and-children