Fake News and Misinformation Poised to Become India's Biggest Threats

The prevalence of fake news and misinformation in India has been on a disturbing rise. Multiple surveys have consistently shown that fake news and misinformation are poised to become India’s biggest threats. This surge in misinformation is not just a minor inconvenience; it has huge ramifications.

From impacting elections by skewing public perception, influencing voter behaviour, and even manipulating election outcomes, misinformation and fake news have larger implications than we realise. Public health is another critical area affected. False information about diseases, treatments, and vaccines has led to widespread panic and mistrust, undermining efforts to combat health crises effectively.

Beyond these, misinformation has also fueled communal tensions, spreading falsehoods that ignite conflicts and deepen divides in society. It has disrupted economic stability by propagating rumours that affect markets and consumer behaviour, as we saw recently with the stock market's bloodbath. Moreover, it has eroded trust in media and institutions, creating a culture of scepticism where truth and lies are increasingly difficult to distinguish.

WhatsApp University Gaining Momentum 

"WhatsApp University" has become a pervasive term in India, referring to the rampant spread of fake news and misinformation through WhatsApp forwards. This has far-reaching consequences and the state machinery has not been able to combat misinformation and fake news spread through WhatsApp forwards in a significant way.

Amitabh Kumar, Founder and Director of Social Media Matters, emphasises the severity of the issue: "WhatsApp University is a term that has gained widespread acceptance. Figures from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to journalist Ravish Kumar use it. It’s striking to consider that WhatsApp, a private company based in America, profits from data while being the primary vehicle for misinformation inside our country. Our collective helplessness in this regard is astonishing. A huge portion of misinformation is propagated by this app from the Meta family, and we are unable to take effective action against it, whether through the courts or government intervention."

Kumar adds: “Brexit was a prime example, as was Trump's election to power. In India, misinformation is similarly used to emotionally charge voters. Today, people are voting based on myths rather than facts. Over the years, many have highlighted the lack of media literacy in India, leading to people being easily swayed. We are, unfortunately, in a very dangerous position."

The Rising Tide of Fake News and Misinformation

According to a recent World Economic Forum report, misinformation and disinformation represent the most significant threats to India, with the potential to undermine elections and influence their outcomes. The report emphasises that misinformation could severely compromise the legitimacy of governments in countries, including India.

The report also highlights the growing challenge posed by artificial intelligence-driven disinformation campaigns, which are becoming harder to detect. These campaigns are increasingly tailored and targeted towards specific groups, such as minority communities. Such content can sway voter opinions, incite protests, provoke violence, and weaken democratic processes. 

Artificial intelligence-generated misinformation has been steadily increasing in India, increasing the existing challenges of fake news and disinformation. Sophisticated AI algorithms can create highly convincing false content, making it more difficult for the average person to discern truth from fabrication. This surge in AI-driven misinformation not only amplifies the spread of false narratives but also targets specific demographics with precision, further polarising public opinion. 

Kumar sheds light on the alarming rise of AI-generated misinformation, describing it as a floodgate of fake content produced through advanced artificial intelligence. "Deepfake videos, once a complex task, can now be created with ease, thanks to generative AI. Producing high-quality fake videos has become so simple that it can be done within seconds," Kumar explains. This technological advancement has unleashed a torrent of misleading content that is increasingly difficult to control. Unfortunately, the current tracking mechanisms are insufficient to halt these sophisticated online crimes, leaving us vulnerable to the widespread dissemination of fabricated information.

The Menace of Spambots Amplifying Misinformation

In India, the rising proliferation of spambots has emerged as a huge issue, further complicating the landscape of digital misinformation. These automated bots flood social media platforms with false information, fake news, and deceptive content, amplifying the reach of misinformation exponentially. 

Spambots can generate and distribute large volumes of misleading content at a speed and scale that human users cannot match. They target trending topics, hijack hashtags, and engage in coordinated campaigns to manipulate public opinion and influence political discourse. Despite efforts to curb their influence, the persistent and evolving nature of spambot activity continues to pose a substantial challenge for regulators and tech companies alike.

Kumar highlights the pervasive issue of spambots, explaining, "A spambot is a computer program designed to assist in the sending of spam. These bots typically create accounts and send spam messages through them. Currently, about 80 to 90 percent of the content you see online is shared and reshared by bots, not real people."

Kumar continues, "The bot factory gained significant traction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spambots have become increasingly popular. For instance, if you are writing a story and I want to make your story go viral, I can buy these bots and pay them to post 100,000 positive comments about your story. They will create multiple fake profiles and start sharing false information about anyone. It's very easy to purchase these bots. You can buy comments, likes, shares, and subscribers—all you need is money. The extent to which spambots are proliferating is unimaginable."

Today, the proliferation of spambots and AI-generated misinformation has evolved into a highly profitable business. Companies and individuals invest heavily in these technologies to manipulate public opinion, spread propaganda, and generate artificial engagement. This burgeoning industry thrives on the ease of creating and disseminating fake content, making it a lucrative venture for those seeking to exploit digital platforms for financial or political gain.

Dr. Aditya Kumar Shukla, a media literacy consultant and Google News Initiative fact-check trainer, emphasises the importance of education in combating this issue. "We have to make people media literate. People have smartphones, but they don't know how to effectively and efficiently use them. Data literacy will also play a crucial role if we want to fight misinformation. I have trained more than 1,000 students across India as a certified Google fact-check trainer. We have a country of 1.4 billion people, so we need more media literacy trainers and programs," he states.

Shukla sheds light on the challenges facing fact-checking efforts amid the rise of misinformation as a profitable business. "The government has its own fact checkers, but we can't rely on them as they can be biased. Similarly, some famous fact checking organisations in India have also lost their IFCN certification due to biased fact-checking. Many existing fact-checking units face issues with internal biases, making them less effective in combating misinformation. Therefore, we need more impartial and reliable fact-checking units to address this growing problem."

The Dangerous Impact of Fake News and Misinformation on Public Health 

The impact of fake news and misinformation on public health in India has been alarming. During the COVID-19 pandemic, false information about the virus, treatments, and vaccines spread rapidly, leading to widespread confusion and fear. For instance, rumours circulated on social media platforms claimed that drinking cow urine or consuming certain herbs could cure COVID-19, which diverted people from seeking proper medical treatment.

Sudipta Sengupta, Founder and CEO of The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) highlights the critical impact of health-related misinformation: "We focus on health-related misinformation and the kind of impact it has. During COVID, we saw how self-declared experts started spreading misinformation-based remedies to the people. Those scenarios can destabilise public health and have a long-term impact. On a daily basis, we see many such cases. Many people in India fall below the poverty line just to meet their healthcare needs. The poor cannot afford treatment. People, especially when suffering from life-threatening diseases, often fall for misinformation."

Sengupta adds: "A lot of people in India do not even complete the regular doses of vaccines. After receiving the first dose of BCG, they may not go for the second dose. This could be because the child experienced a fever, or perhaps a quack advised that the vaccine was unnecessary. This kind of misinformation results in a whole generation growing up unvaccinated. Misinformation plays a huge role in these scenarios and has major public health implications."

Media Literacy in Combating Misinformation and Fake News

Media literacy has emerged as a vital tool in the fight against misinformation and fake news. By equipping individuals with the skills to critically evaluate information, media literacy can significantly reduce the spread and impact of false narratives. In a world where misinformation proliferates rapidly, the ability to discern credible sources from dubious ones is crucial.

Media literacy educates people on how to identify reliable news sources. It teaches them to look for key indicators of credibility, such as the author's credentials, the publication's reputation, and the presence of supporting evidence. This foundational knowledge helps individuals to avoid falling prey to sensationalist or fabricated content.

"Fake news attacks during elections have been at their peak. You don't know the source of the fake news. You don’t know who is sharing it, and even if all this is somehow made possible using technology, the biggest problem is we don’t know who believed in it and who didn't. For those who do believe it, we can't track what actions they took as a result. So, it’s very difficult to actually measure the impact this has on society. This is a huge problem and media literacy is one of the solutions to combat this level of misinformation and fake news," states Dr. Gaurav Sood, author and expert on the subject. 

Dr. Sood explains, "To tackle misinformation, we need to work towards improving media literacy. General literacy levels are already quite low in the country, so you can imagine the plight of media literacy. We need to recognise fake news beyond just the headlines and avoid falling for clickbait. It's crucial to verify the recency of news, as old videos often resurface and trend suddenly. Checking the timeline and doing a bit of research are simple yet effective steps”.

"Additionally, consider who is providing the information. Is it a credible and reliable source? Knowing the origin of the information is vital. A simple internet search can often trace back to the original source. People should filter information from multiple sources, observing how different outlets portray the same issue. By comparing these portrayals, one can better discern the believable version of events," states Dr. Sood.

Media literacy programs can raise awareness about the tactics used by creators of misinformation. For instance, understanding how deepfakes are made and recognising the signs of manipulated content can empower people to question and verify suspicious material before accepting it as truth. 

Dr. Aditya Kumar Shukla states it’s important to ‘catch them young’ for media literacy programmes. "Media literacy courses should be introduced in schools because children start using mobile phones at a young age. Implementing these courses for students in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades would be particularly effective."

Tackling misinformation and fake news requires a collective effort from individuals, educators, policymakers, and technology platforms. By encouraging critical thinking and promoting reliable information, we can create a more discerning public capable of managing the digital age's challenges. 

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