#FactCheck - Viral Video of ‘Hatha Yogi’ Meditating on Snowy Mountain Is AI-Generated

Executive Summary:

A manipulated image showing someone making an offensive gesture towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi is circulating on social media. However, the original photo does not display any such behavior towards the Prime Minister. The CyberPeace Research Team conducted an analysis and found that the genuine image was published in a Hindustan Times article in May 2019, where no rude gesture was visible. A comparison of the viral and authentic images clearly shows the manipulation. Moreover, The Hitavada also published the same image in 2019. Further investigation revealed that ABPLive also had the image.

Claims:

A picture showing an individual making a derogatory gesture towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being widely shared across social media platforms.

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Fact Check:

Upon receiving the news, we immediately ran a reverse search of the image and found an article by Hindustan Times, where a similar photo was posted but there was no sign of such obscene gestures shown towards PM Modi.

ABP Live and The Hitavada also have the same image published on their website in May 2019. 

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Comparing both the viral photo and the photo found on official news websites, we found that almost everything resembles each other except the derogatory sign claimed in the viral image.

With this, we have found that someone took the original image, published in May 2019, and edited it with a disrespectful hand gesture, and which has recently gone viral across social media and has no connection with reality.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, a manipulated picture circulating online showing someone making a rude gesture towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been debunked by the Cyberpeace Research team. The viral image is just an edited version of the original image published in 2019. This demonstrates the need for all social media users to check/ verify the information and facts before sharing, to prevent the spread of fake content. Hence the viral image is fake and Misleading.

• Claim: A picture shows someone making a rude gesture towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Claimed on: X, Instagram
• Fact Check: Fake & Misleading

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Introduction

Attempts at countering the spread of misinformation can include various methods and differing degrees of engagement by different stakeholders. The inclusion of Artificial Intelligence, user awareness and steps taken on the part of the public at a larger level, focus on innovation to facilitate clear communication can be considered in the fight to counter misinformation. This becomes even more important in spaces that deal with matters of national security, such as the Indian army.

IIT Indore’s Intelligent Communication System

As per a report in Hindustan Times on 14th November 2024, IIT Indore has achieved a breakthrough on their project regarding Intelligent Communication Systems. The project is supported by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), as part of a specialised 6G research initiative (Bharat 6G Alliance) for innovation in 6G technology.

Professors at IIT Indore claim that the system they are working on has features different from the ones currently in use. They state that the receiver system can recognise coding, interleaving (a technique used to enhance existing error-correcting codes), and modulation methods together in situations of difficult environments, which makes it useful for transmitting information efficiently and securely, and thus could not only be used for telecommunication but the army as well. They also mention that previously, different receivers were required for different scenarios, however, they aim to build a system that has a single receiver that can adapt to any situation.

Previously, in another move that addressed the issue of misinformation in the army, the Ministry of Defence designated the Additional Directorate General of Strategic Communication in the Indian Army as the authorised officer to issue take-down notices regarding instances of posts consisting of illegal content and misinformation concerning the Army. 

Recommendations

Here are a few policy implications and deliberations one can explore with respect to innovations geared toward tackling misinformation within the army:

1. Research and Development: In this context, investment and research in better communication through institutes have enabled a system that ensures encrypted and secure communication, which helps with ways to combat misinformation for the army.
2. Strategic Deployment: Relevant innovations can focus on having separate pilot studies testing sensitive data in the military areas to assess their effectiveness.
3. Standardisation: Once tested, a set parameter of standards regarding the intelligence communication systems used can be encouraged.
4. Cybersecurity integration: As misinformation is largely spread online, innovation in such fields can encourage further exploration with regard to integration with Cybersecurity.

Conclusion

The spread of misinformation during modern warfare can have severe repercussions. Sensitive and clear data is crucial for safe and efficient communication as a lot is at stake. Innovations that are geared toward combating such issues must be encouraged, for they not only ensure efficiency and security with matters related to defence but also combat misinformation as a whole.

References

1. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/iit-indore-unveils-groundbreaking-intelligent-receivers-for-enhanced-6g-and-military-communication-security/articleshow/115265902.cms
2. https://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/6g-technology-and-intelligent-receivers-will-ease-way-for-army-intelligence-operations-iit-official-101731574418660.html

Introduction

Taj Hotels Group is well known for its luxurious ambience and old-world grace and charm, blended with contemporary comforts and amenities for its guests or customers. But what can make all the netizens perplexed is the recent data breach incident which took place in Tata-owned Taj hotels. The hotel suffer from a data breach that compromises nearly 1.5 million customers' data which includes addresses, membership IDs, mobile numbers and other personally identifiable information, according to sources. This news was brought to light which raised concerns about the privacy and data protection of personal data of individuals. We are living in a space influenced by advanced technology and digital communication which throws a concern or challenge to secure the personal information of individuals. 

Unveiling the incident 

Tata-owned Taj Hotels group has suffered a data breach that compromise information of over 1.5 million customers, according to a news report. A bad actor or entity going by the name “Dnacookies” claimed data set contains data from the 2014-2020 period and has not been disclosed anywhere till now. Such personal data includes name, address, customer ID, mobile number and other personally identifiable information. This shows the risks or challenges of data protection and security. The incidents raise an alarm about the risks and vulnerabilities that might be faced even by the big corporate giants. The bad actor with the handle “Dnacookies” also demanded a ransom of a sum of about Rs 4.16 lakh from the Taj hotel group. In response to the incident, a spokesperson from the concerned hotel group said that we have been made aware of someone claiming possession of a limited data customer data set, which is non-sensitive in nature. Investigation is underway and relevant authorities have been notified about the incident.

‍A demand for ransom

The report from CNBC-TV18 clears that the bad actor not only purloined the data but also demanded around 4.16 lakh as a ransom for the database.  Along with this, the bad actor kept three conditions ahead. Firstly there has to be a middleman for a negotiable deal secondly the data cannot be split either the entire data has to be taken with the ransom demand or no data at all. Thirdly additional samples of data will not be provided. Further, the spokesperson of Indian Hotel Company Limited mentioned that they have been escalated with the fact that someone is claiming authority in a limited data set. The bad actor claimed that the database contains information from 2014- 2020 which has been kept confidential till now. The audacity of the bad actor went to such an extent that the sample containing one thousand rows of unique entries from the bad actor dataset was also provided by the bad actor as proof of the deed. This incident underlines the growing threat in cyberspace and the urgency for individuals, organizations or entities to priorities data security measures and maintain cyber resilience.

Personal Data on Stake

Such data is the personal information of the individuals and also constitutes the personal tastes and preferences of individuals which can be exploited. The biggest gush of winds the hotel and individuals face by such a data breach is not only the volume of data compromised but also the potential ways it can get misused and exploited against the hotel or its customers by cyber crooks. This paves the way for cybercriminals to put forward any demand knowing the sensitivity of the data. Followed by creating a dilemmatic situation for the affected entities to either accept the ransom demands or to stand against ransom. Since the risks are high, going ahead with any of these situations can have an adverse impact on the security of personal data. The organisation or entities holding the personal data need to make sure that data under their realm is well protected and secured.

While the organisation has to sail through the aftermath of this breach, such incidents also pose a challenge for the organisation to maintain the trust and reputation of the organization since these incidents question the cyber security posture of the organisation. It is suggested to be transparent with its stakeholders, and open about the vulnerabilities and steps taken against this. They should also discuss the amplified step added for safeguarding their customer's personal data. Since Taj is well known for its out-of-the-box luxury and for providing comfort to its customers it should take a step ahead to reinforce its digital infrastructure to ensure the security of data.

Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023

The newly enacted Digital Personal Data Act, 2023 put certain obligations on data fiduciaries to take reasonable measures to maintain the security of personal data. The Act also requires to inform about the data breach to the data protection board constituted under the Act. The Act aims to protect the individual's digital personal data. The Act casts certain obligations on data principals and data fiduciaries. The Act provides penalty upto 250 crores in case of a data breach. The Act aims to provide consent-based data collection techniques. The Act also establishes the Data Protection Board to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Act and address grievances. 

Conclusion

Data breach in such a big giant in the market serves as an alarming concern to be more cautious and proactively take precautionary measures to protect the security of data and compliance with data protection laws and regulations. We are living in an era where digital security is as important as the basic fundamental rights of an individual. Taj Hotels Group has actively taken steps to handle the aftermath of the data breach by informing the incident to law enforcement agencies and taking necessary steps.  It is also on our part to be more aware, and vigilant about our personal data. Entities need to ensure compliance and measures to protect personal data and overall ensure a true cyber-safe & digital environment.

References

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/taj-hotels-suffers-data-breach-exposes-information-of-1-5-million-customers-11801161.html

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