AS THE PANDEMIC has spread across the world, so has disinformation. And with few mechanisms to curb the menace, the surge in fake news has spread fear and panic in India.
The messages seem, at times, innocuous. Like an unsigned message asking people to give a five-minute standing ovation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 12. Modi had to debunk it himself.
The fake news about the recent Tablighi Jamaat episode, which tried to portray a community in a certain way, was anything but harmless. As was the false information about resumption of train services, which led to thousands of migrant workers flooding the streets in Mumbai. “Disinformation is not innocuous,” said a senior intelligence official.
The national and state-level cybersecurity cells are buzzing with activity, working day and night to track and kill the disinformation virus. Forensic analysis is underway to trace the mischievous content related to the pandemic and to build a quick and effective counter-narrative on social media.
According to a new report collated by intelligence agencies, 3,162 shady Twitter accounts popped up in 16 days during and after the Delhi riots in February.
Esta historia es de la edición May 03, 2020 de THE WEEK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 03, 2020 de THE WEEK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
