#FactCheck - Viral Video of US President Biden Dozing Off during Television Interview is Digitally Manipulated and Inauthentic

Executive Summary:

The viral video circulating on social media about the Indian men’s 4x400m relay team recently broke the Asian record and qualified for the finals of the world Athletics championship. The fact check reveals that this is not a recent event but it is from the World World Athletics Championships, August 2023 that happened in Budapest, Hungary. The Indian team comprising Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, and Rajesh Ramesh, clocked a time of 2 minutes 59.05 seconds, finishing second behind the USA and breaking the Asian record. Although they performed very well in the heats, they only got fifth place in the finals. The video is being reuploaded with false claims stating its a recent record. 

Claims:

A recent claim that the Indian men’s 4x400m relay team set the Asian record and qualified to the world finals.

Fact Check:

In the recent past, a video of the Indian Men’s 4x400m relay team which set a new Asian record is viral on different Social Media. Many believe that this is a video of the recent achievement of the Indian team. Upon receiving the posts, we did keyword searches based on the input and we found related posts from various social media. We found an article published by ‘The Hindu’ on August 27, 2023.

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According to the article, the Indian team competed in the World Athletics Championship held in Budapest, Hungary. During that time, the team had a very good performance. The Indian team, which consisted of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, and Rajesh Ramesh, completed the race in 2:58.47 seconds, coming second after the USA in the event. 

The earlier record was 3.00.25 which was set in 2021. 

This was a new record in Asia, so it was a historic moment for India. Despite their great success, this video is being reshared with captions that implies this is a recent event, which has raised confusion. We also found various social media posts posted on Aug 26, 2023. We also found the same video posted on the official X account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the caption of the post reads, “Incredible teamwork at the World Athletics Championships! 

Anas, Amoj, Rajesh Ramesh, and Muhammed Ajmal sprinted into the finals, setting a new Asian Record in the M 4X400m Relay. 

This will be remembered as a triumphant comeback, truly historical for Indian athletics.”

This reveals that this is not a recent event but it is from the World World Athletics Championships, August 2023 that happened in Budapest, Hungary. 

Conclusion:

The viral video of the recent news about the Indian men’s 4x400m relay team breaking the Asian record is not true. The video was from August 2023 that happened at the World Athletics Championships, Budapest. The Indian team broke the Asian record with 2 minutes 59.05 seconds in second position while the US team obtained first position with a timing of 2 minutes 58.47 seconds. However, the video circulated projecting as a recent event is misleading and false.

• Claim:  Recent achievement of the Indian men's 4x400m relay team broke the Asian record and qualified for the World finals.
• Claimed on: X, LinkedIn, Instagram
• Fact Check: Fake & Misleading

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Executive Summary:

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A viral video claiming to show Israelis pleading with Iran to "stop the war" is not authentic. As per our research the footage is AI-generated, created using tools like Google’s Veo, and not evidence of a real protest. The video features unnatural visuals and errors typical of AI fabrication. It is part of a broader wave of misinformation surrounding the Israel-Iran conflict, where AI-generated content is widely used to manipulate public opinion. This incident underscores the growing challenge of distinguishing real events from digital fabrications in global conflicts and highlights the importance of media literacy and fact-checking.

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Claim:

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A X verified  user with the handle "Iran, stop the war, we are sorry" posted a video featuring people holding placards and the Israeli flag. The caption suggests that Israeli citizens are calling for peace and expressing remorse, stating, "Stop the war with Iran! We apologize! The people of Israel want peace." The user further claims that Israel, having allegedly initiated the conflict by attacking Iran, is now seeking reconciliation.

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Fact Check:

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The bottom-right corner of the video displays a "VEO" watermark, suggesting it was generated using Google's AI tool, VEO 3. The video exhibits several noticeable inconsistencies such as robotic, unnatural speech, a lack of human gestures, and unclear text on the placards. Additionally, in one frame, a person wearing a blue T-shirt is seen holding nothing, while in the next frame, an Israeli flag suddenly appears in their hand, indicating possible AI-generated glitches.

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We further analyzed the video using the AI detection tool HIVE Moderation, which revealed a 99% probability that the video was generated using artificial intelligence technology. To validate this finding, we examined a keyframe from the video separately, which showed an even higher likelihood of 99% probability of being AI generated. These results strongly indicate that the video is not authentic and was most likely created using advanced AI tools.

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Conclusion:

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The video is highly likely to be AI-generated, as indicated by the VEO watermark, visual inconsistencies, and a 99% probability from HIVE Moderation. This highlights the importance of verifying content before sharing, as misleading AI-generated media can easily spread false narratives.

• Claim: AI generated video of Israelis saying "Stop the War, Iran We are Sorry". ‍
• Claimed On: Social Media‍
• Fact Check:AI Generated Mislead

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Introduction

The Australian Parliament has passed the world’s first legislation regarding a ban on social media for children under 16. This was done citing risks to the mental and physical well-being of children and the need to contain misogynistic influence on them. The debate surrounding the legislation is raging strong, as it is the first proposal of its kind and would set precedence for how other countries can assess their laws regarding children and social media platforms and their priorities. 

The Legislation

Currently trailing an age-verification system (such as biometrics or government identification), the legislation mandates a complete ban on underage children using social media, setting the age limit to 16 or above. Further, the law does not provide exemptions of any kind, be it for pre-existing accounts or parental consent. With federal elections approaching, the law seeks to address parental concerns regarding measures to protect their children from threats lurking on social media platforms. Every step in this regard is being observed with keen interest. 

The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, emphasised that the onus of taking responsible steps toward preventing access falls on the social media platforms, absolving parents and their children of the same. Social media platforms like TikTok, X, and Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram all come under the purview of this legislation.

CyberPeace Overview

The issue of a complete age-based ban raises a few concerns:

1. It is challenging to enforce digitally as children might find a way to circumnavigate such restrictions. An example would be the Cinderella Law, formally known as the Shutdown Law, which the Government of South Korea had implemented back in 2011 to reduce online gaming and promote healthy sleeping habits among children. The law mandated the prohibition of access to online gaming for children under the age of 16 between 12 A.M. to 6 A.M. However, a few drawbacks rendered it less effective over time. Children were able to use the login IDs of adults, switch to VPN, and even switch to offline gaming. In addition, parents also felt the government was infringing on the right to privacy and the restrictions were only for online PC games and did not extend to mobile phones. Consequently, the law lost relevance and was repealed in 2021.  
2. The concept of age verification inherently requires collecting more personal data and inadvertently opens up concerns regarding individual privacy. 
3. A ban is likely to reduce the pressure on tech and social media companies to develop and work on areas that would make their services a safe child-friendly environment. 

Conclusion

Social media platforms can opt for an approach that focuses on how to create a safe environment online for children as they continue to deliberate on restrictions. An example of an impactful-yet-balanced step towards the protection of children on social media while respecting privacy is the U.K.'s Age-Appropriate Design Code (UK AADC). It is the U.K.’s implementation of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), prepared by the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office), the U.K. data protection regulator. It follows a safety-by-design approach for children. As we move towards a future that is predominantly online, we must continue to strive and create a safe space for children and address issues in innovative ways.

References

1. https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/social/australia-proposes-ban-on-social-media-for-children-under-16-9657544/
2. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/should-children-be-barred-from-social-media/article68661342.ece
3. https://forumias.com/blog/debates-on-whether-children-should-be-banned-from-social-media/
4. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/why-banning-kids-from-social-media-wont-solve-the-youth-mental-health-crisis/articleshow/113328111.cms
5. https://iapp.org/news/a/childrens-privacy-laws-and-freedom-of-expression-lessons-from-the-uk-age-appropriate-design-code
6. https://www.techinasia.com/s-koreas-cinderella-law-finally-growing-up-teens-may-soon-be-able-to-play-online-after-midnight-again
7. https://wp.towson.edu/iajournal/2021/12/13/video-gaming-addiction-a-case-study-of-china-and-south-korea/
8. https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-passes-worlds-1st-total-social-media-ban-for-children

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