Fact and friction

The pandemic aside, disinformation is a major battle that India has to fight

- NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

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.