{"id":43816,"date":"2025-05-21T19:12:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T13:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=43816"},"modified":"2025-05-21T19:12:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T13:42:22","slug":"disinformation-concerns-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-05-2025\/disinformation-concerns-in-india","title":{"rendered":"Disinformation Concerns in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Cybersecurity&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>During the recent India-Pakistan crisis, <strong>misinformation was spread in social media platforms.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lokniti-CSDS on \u2018Media in India: Access, Practices, Concerns and Effects\u2019 (2022) indicated that <strong>misinformation on social media platforms<\/strong> significantly affects <strong>public perception, trust, and behaviour.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It revealed <strong>widespread concern <\/strong>about the <strong>spread of fake news and inaccurate information online.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Reuters Institute\u2019s 2024 Digital News Report<\/strong> reveals a significant <strong>shift in how Indians access news.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over 70% of respondents are preferring online media and nearly half are relying on social media platforms such as YouTube (54%) and WhatsApp (48%).\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The WEF Global Risks Report 2024<\/strong> identifies <strong>India as highly vulnerable <\/strong>to misinformation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key drivers:<\/strong> AI-generated content, unregulated influencer content and algorithm-driven social media platforms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Disinformation Challenge:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Growing Internet Penetration: <\/strong>India is on track to surpass 900 million internet users, making it highly <strong>vulnerable to disinformation <\/strong>without appropriate regulations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diverse Landscape, High Risk:<\/strong> India&#8217;s political, social, and linguistic diversity creates fertile ground for manipulated narratives, voter influence, and social unrest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Beyond Politics: <\/strong>Disinformation contributes to consumer boycotts, economic conflicts, international tensions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decline of Legacy Media Trust:<\/strong> Public trust in traditional news sources is eroding.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Citizens increasingly rely on social media for news.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unverified information spreads rapidly, often trusted because it comes from friends or family.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Youth at Risk:<\/strong> India\u2019s youth demographic is increasingly exposed to misinformation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many lack digital literacy and media consumption skills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gaps in Content Regulation: <\/strong>Despite Ministry of Consumer Affairs\u2019 guidelines, health and fitness reels often blur the line between paid and organic content.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Influencers frequently use shock tactics, half-truths, and emotional manipulation for virality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal and Regulatory Landscape<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Constitutional Limits: <\/strong>Article 19(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Article 19(2) allows restrictions for defamation, morality, and public order.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The need to <strong>balance free speech<\/strong> (Article 19(1)(a)) with <strong>reasonable restrictions<\/strong> (Article 19(2)) is challenging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Existing Legal Tools: Consumer Protection Act, 2019 <\/strong>bans misleading ads, holds influencers accountable.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>IT Act (Sections 66 &amp; 67) <\/strong>penalizes harmful digital content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Intermediary Guidelines, 2021 <\/strong>and e-commerce rules reinforce transparency and accountability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Defamation laws<\/strong> protect individuals and brands from false or exaggerated content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Self-Regulation: Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) guidelines<\/strong> set advertising ethics but lack legal force; non-compliance leads to blacklisting\/public reprimand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SEBI and RBI <\/strong>regulate influencers and financial content online.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Recommended Measures to Combat Disinformation in India (Global Risks Report 2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strengthening Technical Capacity &amp; Oversight: <\/strong>Upskill algorithm developers to <strong>reduce bias <\/strong>and manipulation in AI systems.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Establish AI supervisory boards and councils to monitor and regulate generative AI practices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mandate regular risk assessments by digital platforms, especially those using AI.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Boosting Public Awareness &amp; Digital Literacy: <\/strong>Expand digital literacy campaigns to help citizens identify and resist disinformation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Promote critical thinking through educational reforms and public outreach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulating Big Tech Platforms:<\/strong> Leverage India\u2019s status as the largest market for platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to demand accountability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Protecting Press Freedom:<\/strong> Pass stronger laws to protect journalists and whistleblowers from intimidation and digital harassment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Building Global and Regional Alliances: <\/strong>Promote cross-border coalitions to respond to the global nature of disinformation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Share best practices, threat intelligence, and regulatory frameworks with allies and international bodies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Disinformation isn\u2019t just a tech issue\u2014it\u2019s a<strong> threat to democracy, diversity, and truth.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Without public awareness and strong policy measures, disinformation will deepen political and societal divisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This trend underscores the pivotal role that social media platforms play, and the <strong>urgent need to promote media literacy, critical thinking, and accountability<\/strong> to help people identify reliable information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/132756\/OPS\/G95ECALFK.1+GFNEDCBNN.1.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">During the recent India-Pakistan crisis, misinformation was spread in social media platforms.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>India\u2019s Disinformation Challenge:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Growing Internet Penetration: India is on track to surpass 900 million internet users, making it highly vulnerable to disinformation without appropriate regulations.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Diverse Landscape, High Risk: India&#8217;s political, social, and linguistic diversity creates fertile ground for manipulated narratives, voter influence, and social unrest.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Beyond Politics: Disinformation contributes to consumer boycotts, economic conflicts, international tensions.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Decline of Legacy Media Trust: Public trust in traditional news sources is eroding.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-05-2025\/disinformation-concerns-in-india\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43816","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\/43816","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\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43816"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43829,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43816\/revisions\/43829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}