#FactCheck- AI-Generated Train Video Falsely Shows Muslims Praying in Japan A video purportedly showing
Executive Summary
Muslims offering prayers inside a crowded train in Japan is being widely shared on social media, amid ongoing discussions around the country’s alleged rise in anti-immigration sentiment. The clip is being presented as a recent and real incident. However, an research reveals that the video is not authentic. Experts noted that the prayer postures shown in the clip do not align with standard Islamic practices, raising doubts about its credibility. Further analysis indicates that the video has been generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
Claim
A user shared the viral video on YouTube, showing a group of men—mostly dressed in long tunics and skullcaps—appearing to offer prayers inside a moving subway train. Passengers can be seen seated on both sides of the carriage. In the clip, two men are kneeling on the floor and bowing their heads onto a small mat placed in front of them, with their heads coming very close to the knees of seated passengers. Another man is seen bending forward at the waist while standing, and a fourth appears to be standing upright with his eyes closed.
- Link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cZHMCUgbDIA
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Fact Check
A closer examination of the video reveals several visual inconsistencies. One passenger appears to be fused with the seat rails, creating a distorted overlap. Others seem to be seated in areas where seats do not normally exist, such as directly in front of a door. Additionally, an advertisement visible in the background appears blurred and oddly shaped—another common indicator of AI-generated content. An analysis conducted using the Hive Moderation tool found that the video is “likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content.”
Conclusion
The viral claim is misleading. The video does not depict a real incident in Japan. Instead, it is likely AI-generated content being circulated with a false narrative, misrepresenting both the context and religious practices shown in the clip.
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Introduction
In today’s hyper-connected world, information spreads faster than ever before. But while much attention is focused on public platforms like Facebook and Twitter, a different challenge lurks in the shadows: misinformation circulating on encrypted and closed-network platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Unlike open platforms where harmful content can be flagged in public, private groups operate behind a digital curtain. Here, falsehoods often spread unchecked, gaining legitimacy because they are shared by trusted contacts. This makes encrypted platforms a double-edged sword. It is essential for privacy and free expression, yet uniquely vulnerable to misuse.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi rightly reminded,
“Think 10 times before forwarding anything,” warning that even a “single fake news has the capability to snowball into a matter of national concern.”
The Moderation Challenge with End-to-End Encryption
Encrypted messaging platforms were built to protect personal communication. Yet, the same end-to-end encryption that shields users’ privacy also creates a blind spot for moderation. Authorities, researchers, and even the platforms themselves cannot view content circulating in private groups, making fact-checking nearly impossible.
Trust within closed groups makes the problem worse. When a message comes from family, friends, or community leaders, people tend to believe it without questioning and quickly pass it along. Features like large group chats, broadcast lists, and “forward to many” options further speed up its spread. Unlike open networks, there is no public scrutiny, no visible counter-narrative, and no opportunity for timely correction.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, false claims about vaccines spread widely through WhatsApp groups, undermining public health campaigns. Even more alarming, WhatsApp rumors about child kidnappers and cow meat in India triggered mob lynchings, leading to the tragic loss of life.
Encrypted platforms, therefore, represent a unique challenge: they are designed to protect privacy, but, unintentionally, they also protect the spread of dangerous misinformation.
Approaches to Curbing Misinformation on End-to-End Platforms
- Regulatory: Governments worldwide are exploring ways to access encrypted data on messaging platforms, creating tensions between the right to user privacy and crime prevention. Approaches like traceability requirements on WhatsApp, data-sharing mandates for platforms in serious cases, and stronger obligations to act against harmful viral content are also being considered.
- Technological Interventions: Platforms like WhatsApp have introduced features such as “forwarded many times” labels and limits on mass forwarding. These tools can be expanded further by introducing AI-driven link-checking and warnings for suspicious content.
- Community-Based Interventions: Ultimately, no regulation or technology can succeed without public awareness. People need to be inoculated against misinformation through pre-bunking efforts and digital literacy campaigns. Fact-checking websites and tools also have to be taught.
Best Practices for Netizens
Experts recommend simple yet powerful habits that every user can adopt to protect themselves and others. By adopting these, ordinary users can become the first line of defence against misinformation in their own communities:
- Cross-Check Before Forwarding: Verify claims from trusted platforms & official sources.
- Beware of Sensational Content: Headlines that sound too shocking or dramatic probably need checking. Consult multiple sources for a piece of news. If only one platform/ channel is carrying sensational news, it is likely to be clickbait or outright false.
- Stick to Trusted News Sources: Verify news through national newspapers and expert commentary. Remember, not everything on the internet/television is true.
- Look Out for Manipulated Media: Now, with AI-generated deepfakes, it becomes more difficult to tell the difference between original and manipulated media. Check for edited images, cropped videos, or voice messages without source information. Always cross-verify any media received.
- Report Harmful Content: Report misinformation to the platform it is being circulated on and PIB’s Fact Check Unit.
Conclusion
In closed, unmonitored groups, platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram often become safe havens where people trust and forward messages from friends and family without question. Once misinformation takes root, it becomes extremely difficult to challenge or correct, and over time, such actions can snowball into serious social, economic and national concerns.
Preventing this is a matter of shared responsibility. Governments can frame balanced regulations, but individuals must also take initiative: pause, think, and verify before sharing. Ultimately, the right to privacy must be upheld, but with reasonable safeguards to ensure it is not misused at the cost of societal trust and safety.
References
- India WhatsApp ‘child kidnap’ rumours claim two more victims (BBC) The people trying to fight fake news in India (BBC)
- Press Information Bureau – PIB Fact Check
- Brookings Institution – Encryption and Misinformation Report (2021)
- Curtis, T. L., Touzel, M. P., Garneau, W., Gruaz, M., Pinder, M., Wang, L. W., Krishna, S., Cohen, L., Godbout, J.-F., Rabbany, R., & Pelrine, K. (2024). Veracity: An Open-Source AI Fact-Checking System. arXiv.
- NDTV – PM Modi cautions against fake news (2022)
- Times of India – Govt may insist on WhatsApp traceability (2019)
- Medianama – Telegram refused to share ISIS channel data (2019)
Pretext
On 20th October 2022, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a penalty of Rs. 1,337.76 crores on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android Mobile device ecosystem, apart from issuing cease and desist orders. The CCI also directed Google to modify its conduct within a defined timeline. Smart mobile devices need an operating system (OS) to run applications (apps) and programs. Android is one such mobile operating system that Google acquired in 2005. In the instant matter, the CCI examined various practices of Google w.r.t. licensing of this Android mobile operating system and various proprietary mobile applications of Google (e.g., Play Store, Google Search, Google Chrome, YouTube, etc.).
The Issue
Google was found to be misusing its dominant position in the tech market, and the same was the reason behind the penalty. Google argued about the competitive constraints being faced from Apple. In relation to understanding the extent of competition between Google’s Android ecosystem and Apple’s iOS ecosystem, the CCI noted the differences in the two business models, which affect the underlying incentives of business decisions. Apple’s business is primarily based on a vertically integrated smart device ecosystem that focuses on the sale of high-end smart devices with state-of-the-art software components. In contrast, Google’s business was found to be driven by the ultimate intent of increasing users on its platforms so that they interact with its revenue-earning service, i.e., online searches, which directly affects the sale of online advertising services by Google. It was seen that google had created a dominant position among the android phone manufacturers as they were made to have a set of google apps preinstalled in the device to increase the user’s dependency on google services. The CCI felt that Google had created a dominant position to which they replied that the same operations are done by Apple as well, to which the commission responded that apple is a phone and app manufacturer and they have Apple-owned apps in Apple devices only, but Google here in had made a pseudo mandate for android manufactures to have the google apps pre-installed which is, in turn, a possible way of disrupting the market equilibrium and violative of market practices. The CCI imposed a penalty of Rs. 1,337.76 for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in India, CCI delineated the following five relevant markets in the present matter –
- The market for licensable OS for smart mobile devices in India
- The market for app store for Android smart mobile OS in India
- The market for general web search services in India
- The market for non-OS specific mobile web browsers in India
- The market for online video hosting platforms (OVHP) in India.
Supreme Courts Opinion
In October 2022, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) ruled that Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, exploited its dominant position in Android and told it to remove restrictions on device makers, including those related to the pre-installation of apps and ensuring exclusivity of its search. Google lost a challenge in the Supreme Court to block the directives, as the learned court refused to put a stay on the imposed penalty, further giving seven days to comply. The Supreme Court has said a lower tribunal—where Google first challenged the Android directives—can continue to hear the company’s appeal and must rule by March 31.
Counterpoint Research estimates that about 97% of 600 million smartphones in India run on Android. Apple has just a 3% share. Hoping to block the implementation of the CCI directives, Google challenged the CCI order in the Supreme Court by warning it could stall the growth of the Android ecosystem. It also said it would be forced to alter arrangements with more than 1,100 device manufacturers and thousands of app developers if the directives kick in. Google has been concerned about India’s decision as the steps are seen as more sweeping than those imposed in the European Commission’s 2018 ruling. There it was fined for putting in place what the Commission called unlawful restrictions on Android mobile device makers. Google is still challenging the record $4.3 billion fine in that case. In Europe, Google made changes later, including letting Android device users pick their default search engine, and said device makers would be able to license the Google mobile application suite separately from the Google Search App or the Chrome browser.
Conclusion
As the world goes deeper into cyberspace, the big tech companies have more control over the industry and the markets, but the same should not turn into anarchy in the global markets. The Tech giants need to be made aware that compliance is the utmost duty for all companies, and enforcement of the law of the land will be maintained no matter what. Earlier India lacked policies and legislation to govern cyberspace, but in the recent proactive stance by the govt, a lot of new bills have been tabled, one of them being the Intermediary Rules 2021, which has laid down the obligations nand duties of the companies by setting up an intermediary in the country. Such bills coupled with such crucial judgments on tech giants will act as a test and barrier for other tech companies who try to flaunt the rules and avoid compliance.
A video circulating widely on social media claims to show former US President Donald Trump issuing a threat to India over its relationship with Russia. In the clip, Trump is allegedly heard warning New Delhi that if it does not cut bilateral ties with Moscow, the United States would “treat India the same way Pakistan did during the May war.”
The reference to the “May war” appears to point to the India-Pakistan military escalation in May 2025, which followed the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory strikes under Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure.
However, research done by the Cyber Peace Foundation has found that the video is misleading and digitally manipulated.
The visuals used in the viral clip are genuine and were taken from a press briefing addressed by Donald Trump on January 3, 2026. However, the audio track accompanying the video has been fabricated and falsely superimposed to
misrepresent his remarks. In the original address, Trump was speaking about a US-led military operation in Caracas that reportedly resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. He made no reference to India, Russia, or any geopolitical warning involving New Delhi.
Claim:
On January 10, an X (formerly Twitter) user, Niki Chiri (@cutehunmee), shared a video claiming it showed Donald Trump threatening India over its ties with Russia.
In the clip, Trump is purportedly heard stating that unless India severed its relationship with Moscow, the United States would respond in a manner similar to Pakistan’s actions during the May conflict.
The post quickly gained traction, with several users amplifying the claim. Iink,archive link and screenshot
Research:
To verify the authenticity of the video, the Cyber Peace Foundation conducted a reverse image and video analysis. A Google Lens search led investigators to a longer version of the same footage uploaded on the official YouTube channel of The Wall Street Journal, a prominent US-based news outlet.
A comparison confirmed that both videos shared identical visuals, background elements, and camera angles, establishing that the viral clip was sourced from the same press address.
A review of the full speech, however, showed that Trump did not issue any warning to India, nor did he mention Russia or the May conflict. His remarks were strictly focused on developments in Venezuela.
This confirmed that the viral video had been digitally altered. Here is the link to the original video, along with a screenshot:
In the next phase of the research, the audio track from the viral clip was extracted and analysed using the AI-based voice detection tool Aurigin. The results indicated a high likelihood that the voice in the video was artificially generated, further confirming that the audio did not originate from Trump’s original speech. A screenshot of the result is provided below.
Conclusion
The claim that a video shows Donald Trump threatening India over its ties with Russia is false. The Cyber Peace Foundation found that while the visuals were taken from a real press address, the audio was fabricated and overlaid to falsely attribute threatening statements to Trump. The manipulated video was circulated online to mislead viewers and spread disinformation.
