The ministries of IT and Data and Broadcasting are “consistently monitoring” content material being uploaded to social media platforms for deceptive content material associated to the aftermath of ‘Operation Sindoor’ to challenge takedown orders, and have sensitised social media platforms to dam any content material that’s illegal, a senior authorities official advised The Indian Specific.
Businesses and organisations that are answerable for India’s important infrastructure, such because the Energy Ministry, monetary establishments together with banks, and telecom operators are additionally on “excessive alert” after having confronted various cyber assaults following the Pahalgam terror assault final month. “There have been some DDoS assaults on some infrastructure, however now we have contained them. Now we’re on excessive alert as a result of such makes an attempt will definitely be made,” the official mentioned. A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) assault is a cyberattack the place an attacker overwhelms an internet site, server, or community with malicious site visitors from a number of sources, making it gradual or inaccessible to reliable customers
On Wednesday afternoon, throughout a gathering between officers from the 2 ministries, there was acknowledgement that social media platforms like X have been flooded with misinformation associated to India’s strikes on 9 websites hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It was determined that because the scenario was evolving with folks making different claims on-line, the federal government must carefully monitor such content material, and likewise dip into its authorized arsenal of prohibiting such content material from spreading.
In instances of uncertainty, on-line disinformation campaigns usually act as a strategic ploy to seize the narrative conflict. Such campaigns—which have change into routine now on social media platforms which were unable to curb the sheer variety of deceptive content material on their websites—have been utilized in earlier and ongoing conflicts as nicely, such because the Israeli strikes on Gaza, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
From visuals of unrelated air strikes and incorrect claims of retaliation, to even footage lifted from video video games — as India carried out Operation Sindoor within the early hours of Wednesday, social media platforms like X turned the battleground for on-line disinformation campaigns in a bid to mislead folks.
The Press Data Bureau’s (PIB’s) truth verify unit has truth checked a number of viral claims associated to the airstrikes which have been being made on-line. One such submit contained a letter written by a scientist at DRDO about an alleged failure in BrahMos missile elements. The actual fact verify unit clarified that no such scientist works at DRDO and the letter is faux. A number of previous visuals displaying a crashed plane have been additionally circulating on-line with the declare that Pakistan lately shot down an Indian Rafale jet close to Bahawalpur throughout the ongoing Operation Sindoor, which the PIB unit has deemed to be faux.
The federal government has suggested customers of social media platforms to train restraint. “Don’t belief and share unverified data. Examine official sources from the Authorities of India for correct data,” the IT Ministry mentioned in a number of posts on social media platform X.
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Put up the Pahalgam terror assault, the federal government had banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, together with some main channels akin to Daybreak Information, Samaa TV, Ary Information, and Geo Information, for disseminating provocative and communally delicate content material, and false and deceptive narratives and misinformation towards India, its Military and safety companies.
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