Fact, fiction, frenzy: Verified info vital during crises

Particularly during times of conflict, the incidence of communal misinformation demands proactive fact-checking, ethical journalism and platform accountability

This was a crisis that was a long time coming. For years, the Indian fact-checking community has discussed, both formally and informally, the possibility of fact-checking information during a war between India and one of its two neighbouring countries — China and Pakistan. 

The February 2019 Balakot air strikes against Pakistan and the 2020 Galwan valley clashes with China gave a glimpse of what it would mean to fact-check a cross-border military crisis. It is now well documented that modern-day warfare is not just fought on land, air and sea using high-tech weaponry, but extends into the digital space, where narratives are weaponised, and misinformation becomes a tactical tool.

 The first phase of viral misinformation commenced with the brutal killings at Pahalgam on April 22 – the most fact-checked incident in April. About 23% of all fact-checks published by BOOM, a fact-checking news platform, in April were linked to the killings of 26 civilians by four gun-toting terrorists. Fact-checkers witnessed a surge of old and non-contextual videos and images being used as footage of the attack, with an aim to polarise citizens already on the edge.

 The misleading claims targeted not just Kashmiri Muslims, but also the Muslim community across India. WhatsApp groups saw a range of angry voices calling out the community, holding them responsible for the barbaric killings and amplifying Islamophobia. The online mobs did not even spare slain naval officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal’s wife, Himanshi Narwal, who had appealed for peace and avoiding hatred towards Muslims and Kashmiris.

The Indian military’s Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike launched on May 7, targeting the terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) saw the second phase of the misinformation narratives, which were tracked by fact-checkers. Surprisingly, during the initial phase, Indian social media took a back seat, and a bulk of the misinformation surged from across the border, with Pakistani handles on X claiming their forces' victory over India. Old and unrelated images and video footage went viral, claiming to show Pakistan’s airforce shooting down Indian fighter aircraft. Not wanting to be left behind, mainstream Indian media outlets aired old and unrelated footage from Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, misreporting it as visuals of the country’s airstrike on Pakistan.

 False claims spread

However, the proverbial dam broke on the night of May 8, when India struck deep into Pakistan, bombing crucial military installations. Not content with the limited flow of information from the government and the pressure to feed a frenzy of voyeuristic TV audiences in millions, the Indian media brazenly reported false claims of military actions against Pakistan. These ludicrous claims ranged from India destroying the Karachi Port, attacking Lahore, capturing Islamabad, and forcing Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to surrender. Some news channels also announced an internal military coup. For an average viewer of any of these channels, that night suggested the destruction of Pakistan led by bloodthirsty anchors yelling on screens in excitement, barely able to catch their own breath.

This is not the first or the last time rogue Indian TV news channels have been caught peddling hate and falsehoods on live television. The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority, a self-regulatory body established by the NBDA (News Broadcasters & Digital Association) has pulled up several news channels in the past for airing content that violates their code of ethics. But, in the absence of a clear deterrence mechanism that makes such blatant violations a costly affair, news channels led by hate-spewing anchors have thrived and continue to practice the doctrine of ‘lie first, regret later’. This helps them gather huge television rating points, which is a crucial metric relied upon by advertisers, ensuring higher revenue.

This also raises a bigger question. Who fed these news anchors and their channels with such bizarre information at the same time? Were they all receiving similar-sounding information from sources keen on building a narrative of total domination by the Indian forces? If yes, which part of what these TV news channels have reported about this conflict can be trusted and accepted as fact?

 Accounts, websites blocked

 While news channels continue to peddle false news without accountability, individual social media handles, and select digital news websites, have faced the wrath of the government. X (formerly Twitter), issued a statement that it had received executive orders from the Indian government requiring it to block over 8,000 accounts in India, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company’s local employees. X said that the orders “included demands to block access in India to accounts belonging to international news organisations and prominent users.”

In the absence of transparent data, a rudimentary search reveals that these blocking orders were issued against several Indian accounts that were critical of the government, or had questioned some of the unverified claims about the military conflict. A prominent digital news website said that their services were down for an entire day and were only restored after they agreed to take down an article that pointed out details of the alleged downing of India’s Rafale aircraft by Pakistan.

These moves by the government and the inability of platforms to push back are a worrying sign for democracy. At times of a national crisis, like a war, the absence of voices that question the establishment can result in a rise in self-censorship. Unverified claims by pro-government establishments and social media influencers will go unchallenged. Citizens will continue to watch fringe outlets, aiding polarisation, thus, unable to differentiate between truth and fiction. This could eventually lead to the acceptance of authoritarian control due to the absence of objective and fact-based criticism that keeps any establishment accountable, and grounded.

So what can the platforms do? When it comes to takedown orders by the government, platforms can take legal recourse like X has done in the past, but the options are limited. The platforms face the risk of fines or losing safe harbour if they choose to take on the government, an option rarely exercised.

New threats

The current crisis has also seen a slow but steady rise of AI-generated deepfakes of political leaders from both countries. Deepfakes of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif admitting defeat went viral across social media platforms in India. Similar deepfakes of PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Minister of External Affairs  S Jaishankar apologising to Pakistan after Operation Sindoor were doing the rounds. Such deepfakes have the potential to create mass-scale confusion and unrest if not addressed during crucial moments of an ongoing crisis.

 Fact-checking is key

The last few weeks have shown us that information warfare and communal misinformation intersect during crises, demanding proactive fact-checking, ethical journalism, and platform accountability. This India-Pakistan conflict highlighted the role of independent fact-checkers who work silently behind the scenes, using digital verification skills and tools to quickly debunk viral disinformation. 

While the government should address issues related to national security and protect our borders, a wider public debate should be encouraged to identify and address systemic faults that allow misinformation to thrive, eroding democratic discourse. Misinformation thrives in the absence of transparent and credible information. We may have escaped the consequences this time, but it may prove to be fatal in the future, if left unaddressed.

(Jency Jacob is Managing Editor, BOOM. X: @jencyjac)