#FactCheck-A manipulated image showing Indian cricketer Virat Kohli allegedly watching Rahul Gandhi's media briefing on his mobile phone has been widely shared online.
Executive Summary:
A fake photo claiming to show the cricketer Virat Kohli watching a press conference by Rahul Gandhi before a match, has been widely shared on social media. The original photo shows Kohli on his phone with no trace of Gandhi. The incident is claimed to have happened on March 21, 2024, before Kohli's team, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), played Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Many Social Media accounts spread the false image and made it viral.
Claims:
The viral photo falsely claims Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was watching a press conference by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his phone before an IPL match. Many Social media handlers shared it to suggest Kohli's interest in politics. The photo was shared on various platforms including some online news websites.
Fact Check:
After we came across the viral image posted by social media users, we ran a reverse image search of the viral image. Then we landed on the original image posted by an Instagram account named virat__.forever_ on 21 March.
The caption of the Instagram post reads, “VIRAT KOHLI CHILLING BEFORE THE SHOOT FOR JIO ADVERTISEMENT COMMENCE.❤️”
Evidently, there is no image of Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi on the Phone of Virat Kohli. Moreover, the viral image was published after the original image, which was posted on March 21.
Therefore, it’s apparent that the viral image has been altered, borrowing the original image which was shared on March 21.
Conclusion:
To sum up, the Viral Image is altered from the original image, the original image caption tells Cricketer Virat Kohli chilling Before the Jio Advertisement commences but not watching any politician Interview. This shows that in the age of social media, where false information can spread quickly, critical thinking and fact-checking are more important than ever. It is crucial to check if something is real before sharing it, to avoid spreading false stories.
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Introduction
Holi 2025 is just around the corner. In fact, in the Braj region, Mathura and Vrindavan, the celebrations have already begun, starting from Basant Panchami on 2nd February 2025. Temples in Vrindavan are sprinkling flowers on devotees, creating mesmerising scenes with the spirit of devotion. While cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, etc., are all set, with pre-bookings for Holi events, parties and music festivals.
However, in the current digital era, cybercriminals attempt to conduct manipulative campaigns to deceive innocent people. They attempt to send fake cashback offers, freebies, lucrative deals, giveaways, and phishing scams under the guise of Holi deals and offers. The upcoming festival of colors requires you to know the warning signs so you can remain alert and safeguard against digital scams.
How Scammers Might Target You
Holi is a time for joy, colors, and celebrations, but cybercriminals see it as the perfect opportunity to trick people into falling for scams. With increased online shopping, event bookings, and digital transactions, scammers exploit the festive mood to steal money and personal information. Here are some common Holi-related cyber scams and how they operate:
- Exclusive Fake Holi Offers
Scammers send out promotional messages via WhatsApp, SMS, or email claiming to offer exclusive Holi discounts. For example, you might receive a message like:
"Get 70% off on Holi color packs! Limited-time deal! Click here to order now."
However, clicking the link leads to a fraudulent website designed to steal your card details or make unauthorized transactions.
- Fake Holi Cashback Offers
You may get an SMS that reads:
"Congratulations! You’ve won ₹500 cashback for your Holi purchases. Claim now by clicking this link."
The link may take you to a phishing page that asks for your UPI PIN or bank login credentials, allowing scammers to siphon off your money.
- Fake Quizzes to Win Freebies
Scammers circulate links to Holi-themed quizzes or surveys promising free gifts like branded clothing, sweets, or smart gadgets. These often ask users to enter personal details such as phone numbers, email addresses, or even Aadhaar numbers. Once entered, the scammers misuse this information for identity theft or further phishing attempts.
- Fake Social Media Giveaways
Many fraudsters create fake Instagram and Facebook pages mimicking well-known brands, announcing contests with tempting prizes. For example:
"Holi Giveaway! Win a free Bluetooth speaker or chance to win smartphone by following us and sending a small registration fee!"
Once you pay, the page disappears, leaving you with nothing but regret.
- Targeted Phishing Scams
During Holi, phishing attempts surge as scammers disguise themselves as banks, e-wallet services, or e-commerce platforms. You might receive an email with a subject like:
"Urgent: Your Holi order needs confirmation, update your details now!"
The email contains a fake link that, when clicked, prompts you to enter sensitive login information, which the scammers then use to access your account.
- Clickbait Links on Social Media
Cybercriminals circulate enticing headlines such as:
"This New Holi Color Is Banned – Find Out Why!"
These links often lead to malware-infected pages that compromise your device security or steal browsing data.
- Bogus Online Booking Platforms
With many people looking for Holi event tickets or holiday stays, scammers set up fake booking websites. Imagine you come across a site advertising "Holi Pool Party – Entry Just INR 299!" you eagerly make the payment, only to find out later that the event never existed.
How to Stay Safe This Festive Season
- Verify offers directly from official websites instead of clicking on random links.
- Avoid sharing personal or banking details on unfamiliar platforms.
- Look for HTTPS in website URLs before making any payments.
- Be cautious of unsolicited messages, even if they appear to be from known contacts.
- If an offer seems too good to be true, it it is likely a scam or deception.
Conclusion:
As Holi 2025 approaches, make sure your online security remains a priority. Keep an eye on potential frauds that attempt to take advantage of the festive seasons like Holi. Protect yourself against various cyber threats. Before engaging with any Internet content, prioritize the verification of sources. Let us safeguard our celebrations with critical cyber security precautions. Wishing you all a cyber-safe and Happy Holi 2025!
Executive Summary:
Amid the ongoing tensions and conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, an image of a heavily damaged industrial facility is circulating widely on social media. Several users are sharing the picture claiming that it shows an Iranian water treatment or desalination plant destroyed in a US–Israel attack. Some media reports have also used the same image while reporting on the alleged attack on a freshwater desalination plant in Iran.
However, a research by the CyberPeace found that the claim is misleading. The viral image is not from Iran. It actually shows the aftermath of a drone attack on a warehouse belonging to a US company in Basra, Iraq.
Claim
X user “Shashank Shekhar Jha” shared the image on March 8, 2026, claiming that a freshwater desalination plant in Qeshm, Iran, had been destroyed.
Fact check
To verify the claim, we conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. During the search, we found a report published on March 7, 2026, on the website of Asian News International (ANI). The report stated that Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi condemned a US attack on a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island, calling it a “blatant and desperate crime.”
The report used the same viral image; however, the caption clearly mentioned that it was a representational image credited to Reuters.
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/middle-east/blatant-and-desperate-crime-irans-fm-condemns-us-attack-on-qeshms-freshwater-desalination-plant-warns-of-grave-consequences20260307212645/
To further confirm the claim, we checked the official X account of Seyed Abbas Araghchi. In a post on March 7, he condemned the alleged attack on the desalination plant in Qeshm and stated that the strike had disrupted water supply to around 30 villages. However, the post did not include any image of the incident.
Conclusion
The viral image being shared as evidence of a US–Israel attack on Iran’s water treatment plant is misleading. The photo actually shows the aftermath of a drone strike on a warehouse belonging to a US company in Basra, Iraq, and has been wrongly linked to the situation in Iran.
Introduction
Microsoft has unveiled its ambitious roadmap for developing a quantum supercomputer with AI features, acknowledging the transformative power of quantum computing in solving complex societal challenges. Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionise AI by enhancing its capabilities and enabling breakthroughs in different fields. Microsoft’s groundbreaking announcement of its plans to develop a quantum supercomputer, its potential applications, and the implications for the future of artificial intelligence (AI). However, there is a need for regulation in the realms of quantum computing and AI and significant policies and considerations associated with these transformative technologies. This technological advancement will help in the successful development and deployment of quantum computing, along with the potential benefits and challenges associated with its implementation.
What isQuantum computing?
Quantum computing is an emerging field of computer science and technology that utilises principles from quantum mechanics to perform complex calculations and solve certain types of problems more efficiently than classical computers. While classical computers store and process information using bits, quantum computers use quantum bits or qubits.
Interconnected Future
Quantum computing promises to significantly expand AI’s capabilities beyond its current limitations. Integrating these two technologies could lead to profound advancements in various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and cybersecurity. Quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI) are two rapidly evolving fields that have the potential to revolutionise technology and reshape various industries. This section explores the interdependence of quantum computing and AI, highlighting how integrating these two technologies could lead to profound advancements across sectors such as healthcare, finance, and cybersecurity.
- Enhancing AI Capabilities:
Quantum computing holds the promise of significantly expanding the capabilities of AI systems. Traditional computers, based on classical physics and binary logic, need help solving complex problems due to the exponential growth of computational requirements. Quantum computing, on the other hand, leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to perform computations on quantum bits or qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This inherent parallelism and superposition property of qubits could potentially accelerate AI algorithms and enable more efficient processing of vast amounts of data.
- Solving Complex Problems:
The integration of quantum computing and AI has the potential to tackle complex problems that are currently beyond the reach of classical computing methods. Quantum machine learning algorithms, for example, could leverage quantum superposition and entanglement to analyse and classify large datasets more effectively. This could have significant applications in healthcare, where AI-powered quantum systems could aid in drug discovery, disease diagnosis, and personalised medicine by processing vast amounts of genomic and clinical data.
- Advancements in Finance and Optimisation:
The financial sector can benefit significantly from integrating quantum computing and AI. Quantum algorithms can be employed to optimise portfolios, improve risk analysis models, and enhance trading strategies. By harnessing the power of quantum machine learning, financial institutions can make more accurate predictions and informed decisions, leading to increased efficiency and reduced risks.
- Strengthening Cybersecurity:
Quantum computing can also play a pivotal role in bolstering cybersecurity defences. Quantum techniques can be employed to develop new cryptographic protocols that are resistant to quantum attacks. In conjunction with quantum computing, AI can further enhance cybersecurity by analysing massive amounts of network traffic and identifying potential vulnerabilities or anomalies in real time, enabling proactive threat mitigation.
- Quantum-Inspired AI:
Beyond the direct integration of quantum computing and AI, quantum-inspired algorithms are also being explored. These algorithms, designed to run on classical computers, draw inspiration from quantum principles and can improve performance in specific AI tasks. Quantum-inspired optimisation algorithms, for instance, can help solve complex optimisation problems more efficiently, enabling better resource allocation, supply chain management, and scheduling in various industries.
How Quantum Computing and AI Should be Regulated-
As quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, questions arise regarding the need for regulations to govern these technologies. There is debate surrounding the regulation of quantum computing and AI, considering the potential risks, ethical implications, and the balance between innovation and societal protection.
- Assessing Potential Risks: Quantum computing and AI bring unprecedented capabilities that can significantly impact various aspects of society. However, they also pose potential risks, such as unintended consequences, privacy breaches, and algorithmic biases. Regulation can help identify and mitigate these risks, ensuring these technologies’ responsible development and deployment.
- Ethical Implications: AI and quantum computing raise ethical concerns related to privacy, bias, accountability, and the impact on human autonomy. For AI, issues such as algorithmic fairness, transparency, and decision-making accountability must be addressed. Quantum computing, with its potential to break current encryption methods, requires regulatory measures to protect sensitive information. Ethical guidelines and regulations can provide a framework to address these concerns and promote responsible innovation.
- Balancing Innovation and Regulation: Regulating quantum computing and AI involves balancing fostering innovation and protecting society’s interests. Excessive regulation could stifle technological advancements, hinder research, and impede economic growth. On the other hand, a lack of regulation may lead to the proliferation of unsafe or unethical applications. A thoughtful and adaptive regulatory approach is necessary, considering the dynamic nature of these technologies and allowing for iterative improvements based on evolving understanding and risks.
- International Collaboration: Given the global nature of quantum computing and AI, international collaboration in regulation is essential. Harmonising regulatory frameworks can avoid fragmented approaches, ensure consistency, and facilitate ethical and responsible practices across borders. Collaborative efforts can also address data privacy, security, and cross-border data flow challenges, enabling a more unified and cooperative approach towards regulation.
- Regulatory Strategies: Regulatory strategies for quantum computing and AI should adopt a multidisciplinary approach involving stakeholders from academia, industry, policymakers, and the public. Key considerations include:
- Risk-based Approach: Regulations should focus on high-risk applications while allowing low-risk experimentation and development space.
- Transparency and Explainability: AI systems should be transparent and explainable to enable accountability and address concerns about bias, discrimination, and decision-making processes.
- Privacy Protection: Regulations should safeguard individual privacy rights, especially in quantum computing, where current encryption methods may be vulnerable.
- Testing and Certification: Establishing standards for the testing and certification of AI systems can ensure their reliability, safety, and adherence to ethical principles.
- Continuous Monitoring and Adaptation: Regulatory frameworks should be dynamic, regularly reviewed, and adapted to keep pace with the evolving landscape of quantum computing and AI.
Conclusion:
Integrating quantum computing and AI holds immense potential for advancing technology across diverse domains. Quantum computing can enhance the capabilities of AI systems, enabling the solution of complex problems, accelerating data processing, and revolutionising industries such as healthcare, finance, and cybersecurity. As research and development in these fields progress, collaborative efforts among researchers, industry experts, and policymakers will be crucial in harnessing the synergies between quantum computing and AI to drive innovation and shape a transformative future.The regulation of quantum computing and AI is a complex and ongoing discussion. Striking the right balance between fostering innovation, protecting societal interests, and addressing ethical concerns is crucial. A collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to regulation, considering international cooperation, risk assessment, transparency, privacy protection, and continuous monitoring, is necessary to ensure these transformative technologies' responsible development and deployment.
