City
Epaper

Fake news spread like wildfire after Article 370 abrogation

By IANS | Updated: August 23, 2019 15:55 IST

After the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, a string of fake videos showing widespread protests in the Valley and atrocities on common people by armed forces several of them emanating from Pakistan spread like wildfire.

Open in App

In a report on Thursday, the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) reported what Uzair Rizvi, a fact-checker for news agency AFP in India, saw.

What amazed Rizvi the most was how fast false videos about the Kashmir situation started to pop up on social media, Cristina Tardáguila, Associate Director of the IFCN wrote at poynter.org.

"One of them, claiming that Kashmiris were defying the restrictions with a massive pro-independence rally became viral really fast," Rizvi was quoted as saying.

"It started gaining traction one day after (Article 370 was revoked), with people actually believing it to be true. And since there were no media to verify or authenticate it, people shared it widely and it had millions of views. But it was an old video, from a militant's funeral," Rizvi added.

Since then, fact checkers are busting false information almost on a daily basis. Even journalists and ministers from Pakistan have been found to spread fake news.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on August 13 said they took up with Twitter the "malicious content" posted by senior Pakistani lawmaker Rehman Malik who had tweeted that the Indian Army was using "helicopter gunships" to fire on villagers in Kashmir.

"This malicious content is strongly rebutted. We have taken up matter with @TwitterSupport," the Jammu and Kashmir Police tweeted, tagging the posts of Malik.

Pakistan's Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi on August 18 shared a 2017 video with a caption that falsely mentioned that it showed the sufferings of the people of Kashmir due to the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Indian government.

Replying to the charge, Kashmir police officer Imtiyaz Hussain said the the video was shot in Panchkula, Haryana and not Kashmir. People seen in the video were followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh protesting against his arrest.

Taking note of the new fake news peddled on its platform, Twitter has suspended over 200 accounts in the wake of India revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

However, that has not stopped the spread of fake news on social media platforms more than fifteen days after the abrogation of Article 370.

Another video shared thousands of times on Facebook falsely claimed that people in the Valley defied curfew to protest against India's decision to scarp Article 370.

Many of the videos that that fake news peddlers are trying to pass of as protests in Kashmir or atrocities by armed fores have been found to be old videos. People often edit the content of the videos or write false captions while sharing them on social media to make them appear as genuine.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: kashmirindiajammupakistan
Open in App

Related Stories

MumbaiMaharashtra: Three Youths Arrested for Allegedly Supporting Pakistani Flag During Protest In Nala Sopara (Watch Video)

NationalIndia Bans 16 Pak YouTube Channels for Misleading Content on Indian Army, Security Agencies

NationalOdisha Family in Shock as 72-Year-Old Woman Receives Notice to Return to Pakistan After Pahalgam Terror Attack

MaharashtraOver 10,000 Pakistani Nationals Traced in Maharashtra and Delhi Post-Palgham Terror Attack

NationalPahalgam Terror Attack: Social Activist Shot, Injured in North Kashmir Amid Valley Tensions

National Realted Stories

NationalBJP demands action against RJD workers for raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans after Pahalgam attack

NationalK’taka Police not Siddaramaiah’s 'private militia', he must be 'castigated' for overstepping: Amit Malviya

NationalAbsconding woman Maoist in Jharkhand surrenders, two more ultras arrested

NationalMaha govt to form tourism security force for safety of tourists

NationalGold demand likely to rise by 10-15 pc on Akshaya Tritiya despite record-high prices