{"id":17181,"date":"2023-09-15T17:03:05","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T11:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/?p=17181"},"modified":"2023-09-15T17:04:38","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T11:34:38","slug":"fake-news-and-misinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/15-09-2023\/fake-news-and-misinformation","title":{"rendered":"Fake News and Misinformation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Internal Security<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">In News<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, police in various states have opened investigations against a large number of people for allegedly spreading misinformation and fake news<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">About Fake News (Yellow Journalism)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Meaning: <\/strong>Fake news, broadly termed as false news or misinformation that is created or spread with the deliberate intent of causing harm; in the case of misinformation, the element of intent is thought to be absent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fake news can be propagated through any media: <strong>print, electronic and social.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fake news can be <strong>related to anything <\/strong>\u2013\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Commercially driven sensational content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nation-state sponsored misinformation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Highly partisan news site<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social media itself<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Satire or parody<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Governments and regional bodies worldwide are grappling with this <strong>evolving threat<\/strong>, complicated further by technological advancements like <strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools<\/strong> such as<strong> ChatGPT<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Data on Misinformation\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Misinformation manifests differently across the globe, necessitating a nuanced approach to addressing the problem.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For example, <\/strong>during the Covid-19 pandemic, India encountered a significant amount of misinformation (16 per cent), but the nature of the content differed from that in the West, where anti-vaccine narratives gained traction.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In India, the claims were more diverse, ranging from immunity to natural remedies, requiring distinct messaging from the Indian government and experts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/26-07-2021\/fake-news-solutions--challenges\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Legal remedies to tackle Fake News<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Indian Broadcast Foundation (IBF)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Press Council of India<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IPC Sections 153A and 295<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Broadcasting Content Complaint Council (BCCC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Defamation Suit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Information Technology (IT) Act<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contempt of Court laws<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Constitution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Challenges &amp; Outcomes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Influencing opinions: <\/strong>It can be used to <strong>influence public opinions<\/strong>, to gain popularity or to malign the image, character of certain individuals or opponents or to defame them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Issue of fake news during elections: <\/strong>During the <strong>2016 US Presidential elections<\/strong>,&nbsp; a <strong>bipartisan Senate committee<\/strong> found that before and after the 2016 election, the Russian government used social media advertising<strong> to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On similar lines, there has been talk of <strong>Facebook interfering with India\u2019s electoral democracy.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Disturbing harmony: <\/strong>It affects social &amp; communal harmony by spreading extremists\u2019 ideologies especially in sensitive areas like radicalization of youths, inciting violence and hatred among the communities, swinging public opinions etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Global approaches to to combat the issue<\/strong><br><\/span><br>&#8211; Various approaches have been adopted to combat the issue.\u00a0<br>&#8211; <strong>Singapore<\/strong> has implemented strict criminal laws against online misinformation and foreign interference, while also working on legislation to ensure the removal of harmful content by platforms.\u00a0<br>&#8211; The <strong>European Union<\/strong> has developed a self-regulatory code of practice and imposed content moderation requirements on platforms like Facebook and YouTube. <br>&#8211; <strong>India<\/strong>, too, is addressing the spread of online misinformation through the<strong> Digital India Bill. <\/strong>This follows the <strong>IT Rules 2021 <\/strong>that require intermediaries to make reasonable efforts to prevent the dissemination of blatantly false information.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Suggestions<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Need of a comprehensive strategy: <\/strong>To effectively tackle these threats, a comprehensive strategy is required \u2014 one that combines\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Appropriate platform regulation,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Accountable fact-checking, and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Responsible adoption of emerging technological solutions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AI tools for India\u2019s specific needs: <\/strong>While <strong>AI <\/strong>exacerbates the problem of misinformation in some aspects, purpose-built AI tools with human intelligence support can significantly enhance the speed and scale at which harmful online content is addressed.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, it is crucial to tailor any strategy to India\u2019s specific needs and interests while incorporating best practices from around the world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Considering regional factors for Automated speech detection systems<\/strong>: Automated hate speech detection systems which proved effective for <strong>English and European languages<\/strong>, faced challenges in countries like <strong>Myanmar and Ethiopia<\/strong>, where local languages\u2019 nuances were not adequately understood.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The devastating consequences of these failures highlight the importance of <strong>considering regional factors<\/strong>, including local languages and cultural context, when combating dangerous online content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fact-checking organisations:<\/strong> Fact-checking organisations play a crucial role in India\u2019s approach to misinformation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The country boasts the<strong> world\u2019s largest fact-checking community<\/strong>, operating across languages and different media.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By implementing a self-regulatory framework, combining regulation and collaboration, the Indian government can further leverage the potential of this diverse community to combat and mitigate the harms caused by online misinformation.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Indian fact-checking organisations have already begun <strong>collaborating with MeitY<\/strong>, reflecting their <strong>recognition <\/strong>of the<strong> need for self-regulation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Way Ahead<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India\u2019s strong fact-checking community, combined with its leading software industry<\/strong>, positions the country to develop and implement a multifaceted approach to misinformation.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This approach can serve as a <strong>model for other nations<\/strong>, particularly those in the <strong>Global South<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has previously shown leadership in addressing misinformation, as seen in its collaboration with WhatsApp in 2018 to address the circulation of misleading videos that led to lynchings.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As the world\u2019s largest democracy, India is <strong>well-placed to create a regulatory framework <\/strong>that protects freedom of speech and the press while combating misinformation.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/everyday-explainers\/fake-news-misinformation-ipc-sections-explained-8940115\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syllabus: GS3\/ Internal Security In News About Fake News (Yellow Journalism) Data on Misinformation\u00a0 Legal remedies to tackle Fake News Challenges &amp; Outcomes Global approaches to to combat the issue&#8211; Various approaches have been adopted to combat the issue.\u00a0&#8211; Singapore has implemented strict criminal laws against online misinformation and foreign interference, while also working on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17181"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17182,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17181\/revisions\/17182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}