#Fact Old image of Hindu Priest with Donald trump at White house goes viral as recent.
Executive Summary:
Our Team recently came across a post on X (formerly twitter) where a photo widely shared with misleading captions was used about a Hindu Priest performing a vedic prayer at Washington after recent elections. After investigating, we found that it shows a ritual performed by a Hindu priest at a private event in White House to bring an end to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Always verify claims before sharing.
Claim:
An image circulating after Donald Trump’s win in the US election shows Pujari Harish Brahmbhatt at the White House recently.
Fact Check:
The analysis was carried out and found that the video is from an old post that was uploaded in May 2020. By doing a Reverse Image Search we were able to trace the sacred Vedic Shanti Path or peace prayer was recited by a Hindu priest in the Rose Garden of the White House on the occasion of National Day of Prayer Service with other religious leaders to pray for the health, safety and well-being of everyone affected by the coronavirus pandemic during those difficult days, and to bring an end to Covid-19 Pandemic.
Conclusion:
The viral claim mentioning that a Hindu priest performed a Vedic prayer at the White House during Donald Trump’s presidency isn’t true. The photo is actually from a private event in 2020 and provides misleading information.
Before sharing viral posts, take a brief moment to verify the facts. Misinformation spreads quickly and it’s far better to rely on trusted fact-checking sources.
- Claim: Hindu priest held a Vedic prayer at the White House under Trump
- Claimed On:Instagram and X (Formerly Known As Twitter)
- Fact Check: False and Misleading
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Introduction
Digitalization in India has been a transformative force, India is also marked as the second country in the world in terms of active internet users. With this adoption of digitalization and technology, the country is becoming a digitally empowered society and knowledge-based economy. However, the number of cyber crimes in the country has also seen a massive spike recently with the sophisticated cyber attacks and manipulative techniques being used by cybercriminals to lure innocent individuals and businesses.
As per recent reports, over 740,000 cybercrime cases were reported to the I4C, in the first four months of 2024, which raises serious concern on the growing nature of cyber crimes in the country. Recently Prime Minister Modi in his Mann Ki Baat address, cautioned the public about a particular rising cyber scam known as ‘digital arrest’ and highlighted the seriousness of the issue and urged people to be aware and alert about such scams to counter them. The government has been keen on making efforts to reduce and combat cyber crimes by introducing new measures and strengthening the regulatory landscape governing cyberspace in India.
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) was established by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to provide a framework and eco-system for law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to deal with cybercrime in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. I4C handles the ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (https://cybercrime.gov.in) and the 1930 Cyber Crime Helpline. Recently at the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) Foundation Day celebration, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC), Samanvay platform (Joint Cybercrime Investigation Facilitation System), 'Cyber Commandos' program and Online Suspect Registry as efforts to combat the cyber crimes, establish cyber resilence and awareness and strengthening capabilities of law enforcement agencies.
Regulatory landscape Governing Cyber Crimes
Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) and the rules made therein, the Intermediary Guidelines, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023 are the major legislation in India governing Cyber Laws.
CyberPeace Recommendations
There has been an alarming uptick in cybercrimes in the country highlighting the need for proactive approaches to counter these emerging threats. The government should prioritise its efforts by introducing robust policies and technical measures to reduce cybercrime in the country. The law enforcement agencies' capabilities must be strengthened with advanced technologies to deal with cyber crimes especially considering the growing sophisticated nature of cyber crime tactics used by cyber criminals.
The netizens must be aware of the manipulative tactics used by cyber criminals to target them. Social media companies must also implement robust measures on their respective platforms to counter and prevent cyber crimes. Coordinated approaches by all relevant authorities, including law enforcement, cybersecurity agencies, and regulatory bodies, along with increased awareness and proactive engagement by netizens, can significantly reduce cyber threats and online criminal activities.
References
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1499739/india-cyber-crime-cases-reported-to-i4c/#:~:text=Cyber%20crime%20cases%20registered%20by%20I4C%20India%202019%2D2024&text=Over%20740%2C000%20cases%20of%20cyber,related%20to%20online%20financial%20fraud
- https://www.deccanherald.com/india/parliament-panel-to-examine-probe-agencies-efforts-to-tackle-cyber-crime-illegal-immigration-3270314
- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2003158
Executive Summary
A viral video allegedly featuring cricketer Virat Kohli endorsing a betting app named ‘Aviator’ is being shared widely across the social platform. CyberPeace Research Team’s Investigations revealed that the same has been made using the deepfake technology. In the viral video, we found some potential anomalies that can be said to have been created using Synthetic Media, also no genuine celebrity endorsements for the app exist, we have also previously debunked such Deep Fake videos of cricketer Virat Kohli regarding the misuse of deep fake technology. The spread of such content underscores the need for social media platforms to implement robust measures to combat online scams and misinformation.
Claims:
The claim made is that a video circulating on social media depicts Indian cricketer Virat Kohli endorsing a betting app called "Aviator." The video features an Indian News channel named India TV, where the journalist reportedly endorses the betting app followed by Virat Kohli's experience with the betting app.
Fact Check:
Upon receiving the news, we thoroughly watched the video and found some featured anomalies that are usually found in regular deep fake videos such as the lip sync of the journalist is not proper, and if we see it carefully the lips do not match with the audio that we can hear in the Video. It’s the same case when Virat Kohli Speaks in the video.
We then divided the video into keyframes and reverse searched one of the frames from the Kohli’s part, we found a video similar to the one spread, where we could see Virat Kohli wearing the same brown jacket in that video, uploaded on his verified Instagram handle which is an ad promotion in collaboration with American Tourister.
After going through the entire video, it is evident that Virat Kohli is not endorsing any betting app, rather he is talking about an ad promotion collaborating with American Tourister.
We then did some keyword searches to see if India TV had published any news as claimed in the Viral Video, but we didn’t find any credible source.
Therefore, upon noticing the major anomalies in the video and doing further analysis found that the video was created using Synthetic Media, it's a fake and misleading one.
Conclusion:
The video of Virat Kohli promoting a betting app is fake and does not actually feature the celebrity endorsing the app. This brings up many concerns regarding how Artificial Intelligence is being used for fraudulent activities. Social media platforms need to take action against the spread of fake videos like these.
Claim: Video surfacing on social media shows Indian cricket star Virat Kohli promoting a betting application known as "Aviator."
Claimed on: Facebook
Fact Check: Fake & Misleading
Introduction
According to a draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, the Indian government may have the authority to reduce the age at which users can agree to data processing to 14 years. Companies requesting consent to process children’s data, on the other hand, must demonstrate that the information is handled in a “verifiably safe” manner.
The Central Government might change the age limit for consent
The proposed Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 in India attempts to protect child’s personal data under the age of 14 through several provisions. The proposed lower age of consent in India under the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 is to loosen relevant norms and fulfil the demands of Internet corporations. After a year, the government may reconsider the definition of a child with the goal of expanding coverage to children under the age of 14. The proposed shift in the age of consent has elicited varied views, with some experts suggesting that it might potentially expose children to data processing concerns.
The definition of a child is understood to have been amended in the data protection Bill, which is anticipated to be submitted in Parliament’s Monsoon session, to an “individual who has not completed the age of eighteen years or such lower age as the central government may notify.” A child was defined as an “individual who has not completed eighteen years of age” in the 2022 draft.
Under deemed consent, the government has also added the 'legitimate business interest' clause
This clause allows businesses to process personal data without obtaining explicit consent if it is required for their legitimate business interests. The measure recognises that corporations have legitimate objectives, such as innovation, that can be pursued without jeopardising privacy.
Change in Data Protection Boards
The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022, India’s new plan to secure personal data, represents a significant shift in strategy by emphasising outcomes rather than legislative compliance. This amendment will strengthen the Data Protection Board’s position, as its judgments on noncompliance complaints will establish India’s first systematic jurisprudence on data protection. The Cabinet has approved the bill and may be introduced in Parliament in the Monsoon session starting on July 20.
The draft law leaves the selection of the Data Protection Board’s chairperson and members solely to the discretion of the central government, making it a central government set-up board. The government retains control over the board’s composition, terms of service, and so on. The bill does specify, however, that the Data Protection Board would be completely independent and will have a strictly adjudicatory procedure to adjudicate data breaches. It has the same status as a civil court, and its rulings can be appealed.
India's first regulatory body in Charge of preserving privacy
Some expected amendments to the law include a blacklist of countries to which Indian data cannot be transferred and fewer penalties for data breaches. The bill’s scope is limited to processing digital personal data within Indian territory, which means that any offline personal data and anything not digitised will be exempt from the legislation’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, the measure is silent on the governance of digital paper records.
Conclusion
The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 is a much-needed piece of legislation that will replace India’s current data protection regime and assist in preserving individuals’ rights. Central Government is looking for a change in the age for consent from 18 to 14 years. The bill underlines the need for verifiable parental consent before processing a child’s personal data, including those under 18. This section seeks to ensure that parents or legal guardians have a say in the processing of their child’s personal data.
