India on Wednesday accused Pakistan of propagating fake news through social media platforms calling it "malicious propaganda, misinformation, #infodemic, fake news."

India calls out Pakistan for motivated false propaganda on social media

The Jammu and Kashmir police have been at the forefront in the fight against terrorism in the union territory but there are more modem challenges. WION visited Cyber police room in Srinagar which monitors fake accounts and handles trying to propagate hate and agenda.

The Jammu and Kashmir police have been at the forefront in the fight against terrorism in the union territory but there are more modem challenges. WION visited Cyber police room in Srinagar which monitors fake accounts and handles trying to propagate hate and agenda. The Jammu and Kashmir police have also been rescuing people from cyber frauds and an amount of 50 Lakh Indian rupees have been recovered to date. The Cyber labs at Srinagar monitors social media 24x7. Here young IT experts track, monitor, and counter fake identity cases. Cybercrime has emerged as a big challenge for law enforcement agencies in the valley with Pakistan attempting to take advantage of social media platforms. Officials say cyber teams have ensured that propaganda videos to provoke youth are stopped and those attempting to disseminate them are held. Thousand-plus handles have also been disabled which were using a fake identity to create chaos in Kashmir. The man behind this is Tahir Ashraf, who has worked hard to deal with such cases. "Many accounts are operated from not only Pakistan but other countries as well which try to propagate things to disturb the peace. Through different methods, we trace them. There was a handle who posted something which could've created communal tension, we took help from platforms and deleted them," says Tahir Ashraf, in charge Cyber police, Kashmir. Tahir's men are IT experts who keep a close eye on social media. On a usual day, there are cases regarding fake social identity and financial frauds. So far, 70 complaints of financial frauds, multiple online harassments and cyberbullying cases have been resolved. "Cyber policing is also one reason that violence near encounter sites have been down. We keep an eye on handles and websites which could result in law and order problem or someone who appreciates someone for joining terrorism. I think this has resulted in the reduction of violence," Tahir says. This is also the address which deals with countering terrorism and tracking them down to bring peace. In the past, several handles propagating fake news have been disabled and people.

Inside J&K police’s cyber room which tackles fake news and propaganda

An activist group has sent out a warning that social media giant Facebook is a danger to public health.&nbsp;Over the last one year, misleading health content has got 3.8 billion views on Facebook and it&nbsp;is struggling to tackle the infodemic.

The situation has worsened as fake news about health peaked during the pandemic which garnered around 460 million views in April.

Fearing the trend, the World Health Organisation (WHO) created a website full of mythbusters like 5G mobile networks does not spread COVID-19, exposing oneself to high temperatures does not help, consuming alcohol does not offer immunity against the Wuhan virus.

The WHO had to bust at least 40 myths about cures. However, super-spreaders of bogus health news got four times more views than the WHO page.

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Just 42 Facebook pages are followed by 28 million people and accounts for 800 million views.&nbsp;The researchers blame Mark Zuckerberg. They said that Zuckerberg promised to act on fake news during the pandemic but&nbsp;the algorithm is sabotaging the efforts pushing 2.7 billion users towards bogus health news.

In response, Facebook claims to have taken&nbsp;necessary steps.&nbsp;According to them, warning labels were applied on 98 million COVID-19 posts with&nbsp;seven&nbsp;million posts with potential to cause harm were removed.

Over two billion people were directed to the resources posted by health authorities and it turns out&nbsp;only 16 per cent fake health claims carried a warning label.

An activist group has sent out a warning that social media giant Facebook is a danger to public health. Over the last one year, misleading health content has got 3.

An activist group has sent out a warning that social media giant Facebook is a danger to public health. Over the last one year, misleading health content has got 3.8 billion views on Facebook and it is struggling to tackle the infodemic. The situation has worsened as fake news about health peaked during the pandemic which garnered around 460 million views in April. Fearing the trend, the World Health Organisation (WHO) created a website full of mythbusters like 5G mobile networks does not spread COVID-19, exposing oneself to high temperatures does not help, consuming alcohol does not offer immunity against the Wuhan virus. The WHO had to bust at least 40 myths about cures. However, super-spreaders of bogus health news got four times more views than the WHO page. × Just 42 Facebook pages are followed by 28 million people and accounts for 800 million views. The researchers blame Mark Zuckerberg. They said that Zuckerberg promised to act on fake news during the pandemic but the algorithm is sabotaging the efforts pushing 2.7 billion users towards bogus health news. In response, Facebook claims to have taken necessary steps. According to them, warning labels were applied on 98 million COVID-19 posts with seven million posts with potential to cause harm were removed. Over two billion people were directed to the resources posted by health authorities and it turns out only 16 per cent fake health claims carried a warning label.

Facebook spreading misleading health content amid pandemic, claims activist group

By January 2018, Trump had used the word fake 404 times and by the end of 2019, he had made fake claims 15,313 times. That's 32 fake claims for each day spent at the White House.

And now, the US President is being pulled up for his fake claims by Facebook and Twitter.

The social media giants have finally woken up to the danger of fake news. They penalised Donald Trump. The president had claimed that children were 'almost immune' to the coronavirus.

This was during a phone interview to Fox News. The clip was posted on Trump's social media accounts. Facebook deleted it and Twitter went a step ahead and froze a Trump campaign page for retweeting it.

While Twitter has previously taken down the president's post, for Facebook this was a first.

How did Trump react?

Trump has long banked on social media for communication. Traditional media is all fake news, he would say. Now Twitter and Facebook are accusing Trump of the same.

The president was recently grilled by the host of Axios news.

Just when Trump tried to play the fake news card, his bluff was called.

So the question remains--- where does Trump go? Where does he peddle fake news? How does he secure his re-election bid?

By January 2018, Trump had used the word fake 404 times and by the end of 2019, he had made fake claims 15,313 times. That's 32 fake claims for each day spent at the White House.

By January 2018, Trump had used the word fake 404 times and by the end of 2019, he had made fake claims 15,313 times. That's 32 fake claims for each day spent at the White House. And now, the US President is being pulled up for his fake claims by Facebook and Twitter. The social media giants have finally woken up to the danger of fake news. They penalised Donald Trump. The president had claimed that children were 'almost immune' to the coronavirus. This was during a phone interview to Fox News. The clip was posted on Trump's social media accounts. Facebook deleted it and Twitter went a step ahead and froze a Trump campaign page for retweeting it. While Twitter has previously taken down the president's post, for Facebook this was a first. How did Trump react? Trump has long banked on social media for communication. Traditional media is all fake news, he would say. Now Twitter and Facebook are accusing Trump of the same. The president was recently grilled by the host of Axios news. Just when Trump tried to play the fake news card, his bluff was called. So the question remains--- where does Trump go? Where does he peddle fake news? How does he secure his re-election bid?

Facebook and Twitter penalise US President Donald Trump on his 'fake' claims

Donald Trump is no stranger to bizarre claims, and new calculations have found that he may have made over 20,000 misleading claims or entirely false ones after taking charge as the president of the United States.

The calculation, made by the Washington Post traces a “tsunami of untruths” that have slipped the president’s mouth. The newspaper says that Trump hit the 20,000-mark on July 9. On the same day alone, he had made 62 false claims.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/us-president-donald-trump-says-240-miles-of-wall-on-the-border-with-mexico-complete-312872" hreflang="en">US President Donald Trump says 240 miles of wall on the border with Mexico complete</a>

The July 9 claims were made in an interview with a Fox News host - Sean Hannity, whereby he claimed to have “tremendous support” among the African American community. On the same day, he claimed that former US President Barack Obama and the 2020 Democrat hopeful Joe Biden spied on Trump and his campaign in 2016. He, however, offered no evidence.

The Washington Post had curated its database during Trump’s first 100 days in office, as part of which they combed through Trump’s every word, be it at media briefings or at election rallies. They also took into account his Twitter page, where he spends a lot of time talking about himself.

492 lies in the first 100 days

Just in the first 100 days since the newspaper had begun tracking Trump’s lies, over 492 misleading or false claims were made. “The tsunami of untruths just keeps looming larger and larger”, they claimed.

In fact, the team of fact-checkers never thought Donald Trump would hit the 20,000 lie milestone during his current term.

“The notion that Trump would exceed 20,000 claims before he finished his term appeared ludicrous when the Fact Checker started this project,” said Glenn Kessler, editor and chief writer.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/after-donald-trump-melania-trump-now-spotted-wearing-a-face-mask-312826" hreflang="en">After Donald Trump, Melania Trump now spotted wearing a face mask</a>

Trump has made at least 23 false claims every day in the last 14 months. It all began with the Mueller report, the failed impeachment trial against him, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, followed by the murder of George Floyd, which triggered protests not only in the country, but around the world.

Just pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US president has lied 1,200 times. Most of these surrounded his claims of testing rates in the country. Even though the US had undertaken rigorous testing intermittently, medical experts have repeatedly warned how it fell short taking into account the severity of the outbreak in the country.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/entertainment/donald-trump-terms-kanye-wests-white-house-bid-as-interesting-311501" hreflang="en">Donald Trump terms Kanye West's White House bid as 'interesting'</a>

Among his biggest lies would be the claim that the US economy is booming under his leadership. Starting in June 2018, the Post said [the claim] “quickly became one of his favourites”.

However, Trump has overstretched this rhetoric. Recently, he went as far as claiming that this was the best an economy had performed in the history of mankind, which again, is far from the truth.

Just yesterday, on July 13, reports came out that Trump had attempted to sell off the island of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, sparking outrage.

Donald Trump is no stranger to bizarre claims, and new calculations have found that he may have made over 20,000 misleading claims or entirely false ones after taking charge as the president of the United States.

Donald Trump is no stranger to bizarre claims, and new calculations have found that he may have made over 20,000 misleading claims or entirely false ones after taking charge as the president of the United States. The calculation, made by the Washington Post traces a “tsunami of untruths” that have slipped the president’s mouth. The newspaper says that Trump hit the 20,000-mark on July 9. On the same day alone, he had made 62 false claims. Also read: US President Donald Trump says 240 miles of wall on the border with Mexico complete The July 9 claims were made in an interview with a Fox News host - Sean Hannity, whereby he claimed to have “tremendous support” among the African American community. On the same day, he claimed that former US President Barack Obama and the 2020 Democrat hopeful Joe Biden spied on Trump and his campaign in 2016. He, however, offered no evidence. The Washington Post had curated its database during Trump’s first 100 days in office, as part of which they combed through Trump’s every word, be it at media briefings or at election rallies. They also took into account his Twitter page, where he spends a lot of time talking about himself. 492 lies in the first 100 days Just in the first 100 days since the newspaper had begun tracking Trump’s lies, over 492 misleading or false claims were made. “The tsunami of untruths just keeps looming larger and larger”, they claimed. In fact, the team of fact-checkers never thought Donald Trump would hit the 20,000 lie milestone during his current term. “The notion that Trump would exceed 20,000 claims before he finished his term appeared ludicrous when the Fact Checker started this project,” said Glenn Kessler, editor and chief writer. Also read: After Donald Trump, Melania Trump now spotted wearing a face mask Trump has made at least 23 false claims every day in the last 14 months. It all began with the Mueller report, the failed impeachment trial against him, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, followed by the murder of George Floyd, which triggered protests not only in the country, but around the world. Just pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US president has lied 1,200 times. Most of these surrounded his claims of testing rates in the country. Even though the US had undertaken rigorous testing intermittently, medical experts have repeatedly warned how it fell short taking into account the severity of the outbreak in the country. Also read: Donald Trump terms Kanye West's White House bid as 'interesting' Among his biggest lies would be the claim that the US economy is booming under his leadership. Starting in June 2018, the Post said [the claim] “quickly became one of his favourites”. However, Trump has overstretched this rhetoric. Recently, he went as far as claiming that this was the best an economy had performed in the history of mankind, which again, is far from the truth. Just yesterday, on July 13, reports came out that Trump had attempted to sell off the island of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, sparking outrage.

US President Trump has made 23 false claims every day in the last 14 months: Report

Enforcing a fake news law in the run up to a national election, authorities in Singapore have ordered that online references to some comments made by opposition figures on key issues must carry a warning that the content contains false information.

Rights groups have long-warned that the law, which came into effect last year and has repeatedly been directed at opposition figures, may be used to silence criticism of the government ahead of the July 10 vote.

Since campaigning began on July 1, opposition candidates have been taken to task under the law over comments made on three issues; government spending for foreign students, plans to grow the city-state`s 5.7 million population to 10 million, and government advisories that discouraged COVID-19 testing for foreign workers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explainer-why-one-party-dominates-singapore-politics-310968">Also read|&nbsp;Explainer: Why one party dominates Singapore politics</a>

Concerns about immigration and jobs have dominated discussion during the campaigning as the city-state faces its deepest ever recession due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As yet, no lawmakers from the ruling People's Action Party - which has governed since independence in 1965 - have been served correction orders.

The government has denied suggestions that the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) could be used to stifle opposition, and says the law does not curb legitimate criticism or restrict free speech. The POFMA office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Government ministers usually have the power to exercise the law, but during the election period this responsibility has been handed to senior civil servants.

Under the law, authorities can order political parties, news outlets and social media users to carry warnings that their pages or posts contain false statements, and to include links to a government fact-checking website.

The Singapore Democratic Party, one of the opposition parties that has fallen foul of the law, said in a post that carried the warning that it disputed the "correction" but was bound to comply and would appeal.

Rights groups and opposition parties have criticised the government for calling the election while Singapore was still trying to stamp out COVID-19 infections, though most cases have been in migrant worker dormitories.

The government says it needs a fresh mandate to tackle the economic and social challenges ahead.

Enforcing a fake news law in the run up to a national election, authorities in Singapore have ordered that online references to some comments made by opposition figures on key issues must carry a warning that the content contains false information.

Enforcing a fake news law in the run up to a national election, authorities in Singapore have ordered that online references to some comments made by opposition figures on key issues must carry a warning that the content contains false information. Rights groups have long-warned that the law, which came into effect last year and has repeatedly been directed at opposition figures, may be used to silence criticism of the government ahead of the July 10 vote. Since campaigning began on July 1, opposition candidates have been taken to task under the law over comments made on three issues; government spending for foreign students, plans to grow the city-state`s 5.7 million population to 10 million, and government advisories that discouraged COVID-19 testing for foreign workers. Also read| Explainer: Why one party dominates Singapore politics Concerns about immigration and jobs have dominated discussion during the campaigning as the city-state faces its deepest ever recession due to the coronavirus pandemic. As yet, no lawmakers from the ruling People's Action Party - which has governed since independence in 1965 - have been served correction orders. The government has denied suggestions that the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) could be used to stifle opposition, and says the law does not curb legitimate criticism or restrict free speech. The POFMA office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Government ministers usually have the power to exercise the law, but during the election period this responsibility has been handed to senior civil servants. Under the law, authorities can order political parties, news outlets and social media users to carry warnings that their pages or posts contain false statements, and to include links to a government fact-checking website. The Singapore Democratic Party, one of the opposition parties that has fallen foul of the law, said in a post that carried the warning that it disputed the "correction" but was bound to comply and would appeal. Rights groups and opposition parties have criticised the government for calling the election while Singapore was still trying to stamp out COVID-19 infections, though most cases have been in migrant worker dormitories. The government says it needs a fresh mandate to tackle the economic and social challenges ahead.

Singapore's fake news law trips up opposition as election looms

Alphabet Inc's Google on Monday said it would start showing fact-checking labels on Google Images search results globally, as tech companies come under increasing pressure to combat the viral spread of misleading claims online.

Google will display the "fact check" labels underneath thumbnails that appear in image search results along with a summary of third-party fact-checkers' findings, as it already does on its general search engine and on Google News results.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/technology/google-launches-experimental-app-keen-resembling-pinterest-307128" hreflang="en">Google launches experimental app 'Keen' resembling Pinterest</a>

The company started showing fact-checking labels to US&nbsp;viewers on its video platform YouTube in April in a bid to curb coronavirus misinformation, which exploded on social media as the pandemic intensified.

Tech companies have been facing calls to police content more aggressively in recent years, after their hands-off approach allowed fake accounts and false claims to become rampant online.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/google-to-ban-discriminatory-advertisements-targeting-housing-job-and-credit-card-305388" hreflang="en">Google to ban discriminatory advertisements targeting housing, job and credit card</a>

YouTube has surfaced links to sources such as Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia to address common hoaxes since 2018, but said in its April announcement that it would start directing efforts toward more fast-moving news cycles.

Shortly after that, it purged the wildly viral "Plandemic" video, which promoted a conspiracy theory about the pandemic to millions of viewers within just a few days.

Twitter and Facebook have also introduced fact-checking programs and warning labels for "manipulated media," although critics say the moves are too limited in scope.

Alphabet Inc's Google on Monday said it would start showing fact-checking labels on Google Images search results globally, as tech companies come under increasing pressure to combat the viral spread of misleading claims online.

Alphabet Inc's Google on Monday said it would start showing fact-checking labels on Google Images search results globally, as tech companies come under increasing pressure to combat the viral spread of misleading claims online. Google will display the "fact check" labels underneath thumbnails that appear in image search results along with a summary of third-party fact-checkers' findings, as it already does on its general search engine and on Google News results. Also read: Google launches experimental app 'Keen' resembling Pinterest The company started showing fact-checking labels to US viewers on its video platform YouTube in April in a bid to curb coronavirus misinformation, which exploded on social media as the pandemic intensified. Tech companies have been facing calls to police content more aggressively in recent years, after their hands-off approach allowed fake accounts and false claims to become rampant online. Also read: Google to ban discriminatory advertisements targeting housing, job and credit card YouTube has surfaced links to sources such as Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia to address common hoaxes since 2018, but said in its April announcement that it would start directing efforts toward more fast-moving news cycles. Shortly after that, it purged the wildly viral "Plandemic" video, which promoted a conspiracy theory about the pandemic to millions of viewers within just a few days. Twitter and Facebook have also introduced fact-checking programs and warning labels for "manipulated media," although critics say the moves are too limited in scope.

Google extends fact-checking to image search

In an effort to curb the spread of fake news and misinformation, Twitter Inc said it was testing a new feature on Android devices that prompts users to open articles before sharing them.

"To help promote informed discussion, we're testing a new prompt on Android –– when you Retweet an article that you haven't opened on Twitter, we may ask if you'd like to open it first," tweeted Twitter support. 
&nbsp;

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Sharing an article can spark conversation, so you may want to read it before you Tweet it. 
 
To help promote informed discussion, we're testing a new prompt on Android –– when you Retweet an article that you haven't opened on Twitter, we may ask if you'd like to open it first.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/1270783537667551233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The social media company has been tightening its policies in recent years amid criticism that its hands-off approach had allowed abuse, fake accounts and misinformation to thrive on its platform.

Furthermore, the European Union (EU) asked Facebook, Google and Twitter to provide monthly reports with details on their actions to promote authoritative content and to limit coronavirus disinformation and advertising related to it.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-asks-facebook-twitter-google-to-report-monthly-on-fake-news-fight-304840">Also Read:&nbsp;EU asks Facebook, Twitter, Google to report monthly on fake news fight</a>

In May, Twitter prompted readers to check the facts in tweets sent by US President Donald Trump, warning that his claims about mail-in ballots were false and had been debunked by fact-checkers.

Recently, the company also flagged Trump’s tweet about protests in the country for glorifying violence.

Twitter also took similar action against a Chinese government’s official twitter account, after he posted misleading information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-disables-trump-campaign-tribute-to-floyd-for-copyright-foul-303548">Also Read: Twitter disables Trump campaign tribute to Floyd for copyright foul</a>

In March, Twitter deleted a tweet posted by US President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Republican activist Charlie Kirk for violating its rules over novel coronavirus misinformation. 
 
The coronavirus pandemic has been accompanied by a massive wave of&nbsp;misleading information. 
 
(With inputs from Reuters)

In an effort to curb the spread of fake news and misinformation, Twitter Inc said it was testing a new feature on Android devices that prompts users to open articles before sharing them.

In an effort to curb the spread of fake news and misinformation, Twitter Inc said it was testing a new feature on Android devices that prompts users to open articles before sharing them. "To help promote informed discussion, we're testing a new prompt on Android –– when you Retweet an article that you haven't opened on Twitter, we may ask if you'd like to open it first," tweeted Twitter support. Sharing an article can spark conversation, so you may want to read it before you Tweet it. To help promote informed discussion, we're testing a new prompt on Android –– when you Retweet an article that you haven't opened on Twitter, we may ask if you'd like to open it first. — Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) June 10, 2020 × The social media company has been tightening its policies in recent years amid criticism that its hands-off approach had allowed abuse, fake accounts and misinformation to thrive on its platform. Furthermore, the European Union (EU) asked Facebook, Google and Twitter to provide monthly reports with details on their actions to promote authoritative content and to limit coronavirus disinformation and advertising related to it. Also Read: EU asks Facebook, Twitter, Google to report monthly on fake news fight In May, Twitter prompted readers to check the facts in tweets sent by US President Donald Trump, warning that his claims about mail-in ballots were false and had been debunked by fact-checkers. Recently, the company also flagged Trump’s tweet about protests in the country for glorifying violence. Twitter also took similar action against a Chinese government’s official twitter account, after he posted misleading information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Also Read: Twitter disables Trump campaign tribute to Floyd for copyright foul In March, Twitter deleted a tweet posted by US President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Republican activist Charlie Kirk for violating its rules over novel coronavirus misinformation. The coronavirus pandemic has been accompanied by a massive wave of misleading information. (With inputs from Reuters)

Twitter wants users to read articles before retweeting them

Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda wants to 'kill gossip websites'. The actor is mighty miffed with certain websites who have allegedly published fake news about his donation for COVID-19 relief work. The actor, in a video shared on social media, has claimed that these websites intend to "destroy his career and image" 
 
Sharing a post along with the video on Twitter, the actor wrote, " When someone who is supposed to be the guardian of truth lies to you or betrays your trust, intentionally - the society is in danger. This video is my responsibility to my people. Meanwhile, you are welcome to continue trying to end my career, destroy my image, write nonsense about me." The hashtags #KillGossipWebsites, #SpreadPositivity and #KillFakeNews were added to his post.

In the video, Deverakonda called out websites that alleged that his NGO, The Deverakonda Foundation's fund were not being directed for the relief of poor families. The actor shared multiple screenshots of articles that seem to indicate the misuse of the funds. The actor shared screenshots of spreadsheets of his contributions to the COVID-19 fund on Twitter and got support from members of the southern film fraternity.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/scC2morSR_s" width="560"></iframe> 
 
Actors like Mahesh Babu, Rana Daggubati and filmmaker Sandeep Vanga Reddy all tweeted in support of the 'Arjun Reddy' actor.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KillFakeNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KillFakeNews</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpreadPositivity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpreadPositivity</a> <a href="https://t.co/LkXx2FFGPY">https://t.co/LkXx2FFGPY</a> <a href="https://t.co/l8YNqxDUdk">pic.twitter.com/l8YNqxDUdk</a>
— Vijay Deverakonda (@TheDeverakonda) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDeverakonda/status/1257271129506373637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Spoken out well my man!! <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDeverakonda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheDeverakonda</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SureshProdns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SureshProdns</a> and I stand by you!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KillFakeNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KillFakeNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpreadPositivity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpreadPositivity</a> <a href="https://t.co/HQXMhMEgk5">https://t.co/HQXMhMEgk5</a>
— Rana Daggubati (@RanaDaggubati) <a href="https://twitter.com/RanaDaggubati/status/1257353229706440709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Alloys are a homogeneous mixture of two or more metallic elements like Iron, Steel, Bronze &amp; Titanium to acheive a greater strength to withstand against all sorts of calamities, corrosion &amp; chemical reactions. 
And you have a pair made out of it 😀 
Great &amp; gutsy <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDeverakonda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheDeverakonda</a> 👍 <a href="https://t.co/FekEvwYcOu">https://t.co/FekEvwYcOu</a>
— Sandeep Reddy Vanga (@imvangasandeep) <a href="https://twitter.com/imvangasandeep/status/1255209232820875264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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To whom so ever it may concern... Do not take Our Patience &amp; Silence for granted. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KillFakeNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KillFakeNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/killGossipWebsites?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#killGossipWebsites</a> 
<a href="https://twitter.com/TheDeverakonda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheDeverakonda</a> <a href="https://t.co/LtFr7I8nRx">https://t.co/LtFr7I8nRx</a>
— Vamshi Paidipally (@directorvamshi) <a href="https://twitter.com/directorvamshi/status/1257341943039889420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Vijay Deveraknonda made his debut in 2011 in 'Nuvvila' and his breakout performance was in the 2016 film 'Pelli Choopulu'. The actor is best known for his performances in films like Sandeep Reddy Vanga's 'Arjun Reddy', 'Ye Mantram Vesave', 'Mahanati' and 'Geetha Govindam'.&nbsp; He was last seen in 'Dear Comrade'.

Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda wants to 'kill gossip websites'. The actor is mighty miffed with certain websites who have allegedly published fake news about his donation for COVID-19 relief work.

Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda wants to 'kill gossip websites'. The actor is mighty miffed with certain websites who have allegedly published fake news about his donation for COVID-19 relief work. The actor, in a video shared on social media, has claimed that these websites intend to "destroy his career and image" Sharing a post along with the video on Twitter, the actor wrote, " When someone who is supposed to be the guardian of truth lies to you or betrays your trust, intentionally - the society is in danger. This video is my responsibility to my people. Meanwhile, you are welcome to continue trying to end my career, destroy my image, write nonsense about me." The hashtags #KillGossipWebsites, #SpreadPositivity and #KillFakeNews were added to his post. In the video, Deverakonda called out websites that alleged that his NGO, The Deverakonda Foundation's fund were not being directed for the relief of poor families. The actor shared multiple screenshots of articles that seem to indicate the misuse of the funds. The actor shared screenshots of spreadsheets of his contributions to the COVID-19 fund on Twitter and got support from members of the southern film fraternity. Actors like Mahesh Babu, Rana Daggubati and filmmaker Sandeep Vanga Reddy all tweeted in support of the 'Arjun Reddy' actor. #KillFakeNews#SpreadPositivity https://t.co/LkXx2FFGPY pic.twitter.com/l8YNqxDUdk — Vijay Deverakonda (@TheDeverakonda) May 4, 2020 × Spoken out well my man!! @TheDeverakonda @SureshProdns and I stand by you!!#KillFakeNews #SpreadPositivity https://t.co/HQXMhMEgk5 — Rana Daggubati (@RanaDaggubati) May 4, 2020 × Alloys are a homogeneous mixture of two or more metallic elements like Iron, Steel, Bronze & Titanium to acheive a greater strength to withstand against all sorts of calamities, corrosion & chemical reactions. And you have a pair made out of it 😀 Great & gutsy @TheDeverakonda 👍 https://t.co/FekEvwYcOu — Sandeep Reddy Vanga (@imvangasandeep) April 28, 2020 × To whom so ever it may concern... Do not take Our Patience & Silence for granted. #KillFakeNews #killGossipWebsites @TheDeverakonda https://t.co/LtFr7I8nRx — Vamshi Paidipally (@directorvamshi) May 4, 2020 × Vijay Deveraknonda made his debut in 2011 in 'Nuvvila' and his breakout performance was in the 2016 film 'Pelli Choopulu'. The actor is best known for his performances in films like Sandeep Reddy Vanga's 'Arjun Reddy', 'Ye Mantram Vesave', 'Mahanati' and 'Geetha Govindam'. He was last seen in 'Dear Comrade'.

Vijay Deverakonda wants to 'kill gossip websites' for spreading fake news about him, gets support from Mahesh Babu, Rana Daggubati

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan and industrialist Anand Mahindra are known to be active on Twitter. The two influential celebrities enjoy a huge following on social media and during the lockdown, they have been very actively sharing posts- in an attempt to create awareness around coronavirus. Mostly. 
 
The two, in the recent past, have shared posts- which many have pointed stem out of the infamous 'Whats App University'. On Monday, #UninstallWhatsApp began trending on Twitter after a user created a petition requesting Mark Zuckerberg to disable WhatsApp from Amitabh Bachchan and Anand Mahindra's phones. 
 
"A megastar and a renowned industrialist are falling prey to fake news &amp; bizarre content being fed to them via Whatsapp," reads the Change.org petition created by Twitter user @RoflGandhi_. "We need to restore the dignity of two gentlemen. Through this petition, we are requesting Mark Zuckerberg to disable Whatsapp on their numbers." 
Nearly 18,000 people have signed the petition so far.

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Uninstall Whatsapp from Amitabh Bachchan &amp; Anand Mahindra's Phone - Sign the Petition! <a href="https://t.co/UEekUY9ZgY">https://t.co/UEekUY9ZgY</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/ChangeOrg_India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChangeOrg_India</a>
— Rofl Gandhi 2.0 (@RoflGandhi_) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoflGandhi_/status/1254483285943750657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The petition comes at a time when WhatsApp has tightened message forwarding limits earlier in April. The move has restricted users to sharing forwarded content one chat at a time after the app witnessed a jump in messages touting bogus medical advice since the start of the coronavirus crisis. 
 
The pandemic has been accompanied by what the World Health Organization (WHO) has called an "infodemic" of misinformation. 
 
Both Bachchan and Mahindra have in the recent past shared posts that many feel were acquired from Whats App. 
 
Big B in fact has been called out several times for sharing misinformation on social media in April,&nbsp; the 77-year-old actor was criticised for retweeting a post on Twitter that falsely showed an illuminated India on the world map. In March he was called out for a tweet which claimed vibrations from clapping and blowing conch shells as part of the Janata curfew (public curfew) would have reduced or destroyed coronavirus potency as it was 'Amavasya' on that day. The superstar had eventually deleted the tweet.

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The World sees us .. we are ONE .. <a href="https://t.co/68k9NagfkI">https://t.co/68k9NagfkI</a>
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/1246865058690297856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Recently Anand Mahindra had to issue an apology after being criticised heavily for sharing an "insensitive" photo that showed two people using green leaves as masks to cover their faces amid the pandemic.

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You’re right, I can see how my tweet appeared insensitive to the inequity of the situation. I’ve deleted it. <a href="https://t.co/YL2Ucqrc9e">https://t.co/YL2Ucqrc9e</a>
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) <a href="https://twitter.com/anandmahindra/status/1254116537364967425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The petition on Monday drew a lot of comments and even hilarious memes and led to the #UninstallWhatsApp trending on the social media app.

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan and industrialist Anand Mahindra are known to be active on Twitter. The two influential celebrities enjoy a huge following on social media and during the lockdown, they have been very actively sharing posts- in an attempt to create awareness around coronavirus.

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan and industrialist Anand Mahindra are known to be active on Twitter. The two influential celebrities enjoy a huge following on social media and during the lockdown, they have been very actively sharing posts- in an attempt to create awareness around coronavirus. Mostly. The two, in the recent past, have shared posts- which many have pointed stem out of the infamous 'Whats App University'. On Monday, #UninstallWhatsApp began trending on Twitter after a user created a petition requesting Mark Zuckerberg to disable WhatsApp from Amitabh Bachchan and Anand Mahindra's phones. "A megastar and a renowned industrialist are falling prey to fake news & bizarre content being fed to them via Whatsapp," reads the Change.org petition created by Twitter user @RoflGandhi_. "We need to restore the dignity of two gentlemen. Through this petition, we are requesting Mark Zuckerberg to disable Whatsapp on their numbers." Nearly 18,000 people have signed the petition so far. Uninstall Whatsapp from Amitabh Bachchan & Anand Mahindra's Phone - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/UEekUY9ZgY via @ChangeOrg_India — Rofl Gandhi 2.0 (@RoflGandhi_) April 26, 2020 × The petition comes at a time when WhatsApp has tightened message forwarding limits earlier in April. The move has restricted users to sharing forwarded content one chat at a time after the app witnessed a jump in messages touting bogus medical advice since the start of the coronavirus crisis. The pandemic has been accompanied by what the World Health Organization (WHO) has called an "infodemic" of misinformation. Both Bachchan and Mahindra have in the recent past shared posts that many feel were acquired from Whats App. Big B in fact has been called out several times for sharing misinformation on social media in April, the 77-year-old actor was criticised for retweeting a post on Twitter that falsely showed an illuminated India on the world map. In March he was called out for a tweet which claimed vibrations from clapping and blowing conch shells as part of the Janata curfew (public curfew) would have reduced or destroyed coronavirus potency as it was 'Amavasya' on that day. The superstar had eventually deleted the tweet. The World sees us .. we are ONE .. https://t.co/68k9NagfkI — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 5, 2020 × Recently Anand Mahindra had to issue an apology after being criticised heavily for sharing an "insensitive" photo that showed two people using green leaves as masks to cover their faces amid the pandemic. You’re right, I can see how my tweet appeared insensitive to the inequity of the situation. I’ve deleted it. https://t.co/YL2Ucqrc9e — anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 25, 2020 × The petition on Monday drew a lot of comments and even hilarious memes and led to the #UninstallWhatsApp trending on the social media app.

People are signing an online petition demanding the removal of WhatsApp from Amitabh Bachchan and Anand Mahindra's phones

Chinese agents are amplifying fake news in America and causing panic. Last month, posts like these went viral in the United States.&nbsp;

The coronavirus was quickly spreading. Several people received this message. It says America will go into a "mandatory quarantine" or a "national lockdown". &nbsp;

There are several versions of this message. But, all of them say pretty much the same thing. There will be a lockdown in the United States, enforced by the military.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Stock up on what you need. And a request to forward the message to friends and family.&nbsp;

<img alt="mm," data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="09ea491b-7bf6-4136-bb80-1952aa22ebdd" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/corona_natguard.jpg" /> 
 
&nbsp;The message spread like wildfire. Americans would understand the full import of this idiom.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
On March 16, the US National Security Council put out a tweet.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
They clearly said there will be "no national lockdown".&nbsp;

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Text message rumors of a national <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/quarantine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#quarantine</a> are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCgov</a> has and will continue to post the latest guidance on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a>
— NSC (@WHNSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHNSC/status/1239398218292748292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The top national security body of the US president had to step in to handle a case of fake news. That's how serious the issue had become. The situation was alarming.&nbsp;

US intelligence agencies launched an investigation. &nbsp;On Wednesday, the New York Times published this story.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
American officials have evidence to believe that Chinese agents were involved. They pushed misinformation and fake news on different platforms.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The source or the origin of disinformation is not yet clear.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
But, American officials believe that Chinese operatives amplified fake messages. And this is what triggered panic among American citizens.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The United States is a regular target of disinformation campaigns now. The Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed how social media platforms can be compromised and misused.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;But, this campaign was much more sophisticated. Reports suggest Chinese agents used text messages and encrypted messaging apps.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Applications like WhatsApp. Since they are encrypted it's much harder for intelligence agencies to track them.&nbsp;

China has denied these charges. They called the report "complete nonsense". The United States and China are locked in an information war.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
America blames china for supplying "bad information" and China is hitting back with some rather crude remarks. 
&nbsp; 
In China's case, its actions to cover up the coronavirus outbreak certainly speak much louder than all the stories it's spinning.

Chinese agents are amplifying fake news in America and causing panic. Last month, posts like these went viral in the United States. The coronavirus was quickly spreading.

Chinese agents are amplifying fake news in America and causing panic. Last month, posts like these went viral in the United States. The coronavirus was quickly spreading. Several people received this message. It says America will go into a "mandatory quarantine" or a "national lockdown". There are several versions of this message. But, all of them say pretty much the same thing. There will be a lockdown in the United States, enforced by the military. Stock up on what you need. And a request to forward the message to friends and family. The message spread like wildfire. Americans would understand the full import of this idiom. On March 16, the US National Security Council put out a tweet. They clearly said there will be "no national lockdown". Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19. #coronavirus — NSC (@WHNSC) March 16, 2020 × The top national security body of the US president had to step in to handle a case of fake news. That's how serious the issue had become. The situation was alarming. US intelligence agencies launched an investigation. On Wednesday, the New York Times published this story. American officials have evidence to believe that Chinese agents were involved. They pushed misinformation and fake news on different platforms. The source or the origin of disinformation is not yet clear. But, American officials believe that Chinese operatives amplified fake messages. And this is what triggered panic among American citizens. The United States is a regular target of disinformation campaigns now. The Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed how social media platforms can be compromised and misused. But, this campaign was much more sophisticated. Reports suggest Chinese agents used text messages and encrypted messaging apps. Applications like WhatsApp. Since they are encrypted it's much harder for intelligence agencies to track them. China has denied these charges. They called the report "complete nonsense". The United States and China are locked in an information war. America blames china for supplying "bad information" and China is hitting back with some rather crude remarks. In China's case, its actions to cover up the coronavirus outbreak certainly speak much louder than all the stories it's spinning.

'There is no national lockdown': United States alleges China's role in fake news spread

Twitter has suspended a fake account which was used by Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to spread false news about India in the Gulf states. The suspended Twitter account is @idanialusaf, it was impersonating Noura bint Faisal, a princess of Saudi Arabia by creating a fake ID named @NouraAlSaud and was involved in anti-India propaganda operated from Pakistan.

Twitter suspends an account if it has been reported as violating the micro-blogging platform's rules surrounding abuse. The account can be suspended on it is indulges in abusive behaviour, like sending threats to others or impersonating other accounts.

Indian security agencies say ISI has been spreading hatred against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gulf countries by using several fake accounts on social media platforms. The intelligence agencies have prepared a dossier of Pakistan's involvement in activities of spreading anti-India messages through fake or hacked accounts on social media.

Investigators revealed that fake accounts are being created in the name of royal family members of Gulf countries to spread hatred about India.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/50-terrorists-gunned-down-in-jammu-and-kashmir-this-year-18-eliminated-during-lockdown-294459">Also read:&nbsp;50 terrorists gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir this year; 18 eliminated during lockdown</a>

This revelation comes after another twitter account ID @pak_fauj was found to have changed its name to Mona bint Fahd al Said @SayyidaMona a member of the Oman royal family. This account has also been used to spread anti-India propaganda.

Several anti-India tweets on ties between India and the Gulf were made from this twitter handle which was retweeted by many including Pakistani media personnel.

The dossier prepared by security agencies and accessed by Zee News reveals that hundreds of such Twitter accounts have been used to spread hatred against India and are being operated from Pakistan, but have assumed identities of persons from Gulf nations to push the narrative that there is a backlash against Indian government in Gulf.

An Indian security official said, "How ISI executed the fake news campaign; it first dug out old tweets put out by Indians in Gulf with negative references to Muslims and through ISI handles popularised it. It adopted two methods for popularising- fake handles purportedly belonging to high profile people in Gulf like royal family and journalists."

A cyber expert Jiten Jain said, "Interesting aspect was that those ISI handles that were claiming that they were India or Pakistan based, started showing themselves to be Gulf based to push the narrative that there is a backlash against Indian govt in Gulf. ISI is using name of royal families to spread hatred against India."

The Gulf nations have been very appreciative of PM Modi’s efforts to reduce tension and bring stability in the region, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, and the Pakistani spy agency is trying to create a divide.

Omani Princess Mona bint Fahd whose identity was used to create the fake profile issued a statement saying, "Friends, first of all I thank you for your concern to verify the offensive post published through an account impersonating me, which you are sure that I have no connection with it."

She confirmed that her social media presence is restricted to two accounts. "With full trust in all of you in strengthening awareness among all regarding such activities, which are not acceptable to the Omani society, I confirm again that my presence in social media is restricted on the following accounts: @hhmonaalsaid &nbsp; and @MonaFahad 13," she said.

On Twitter, one can change their name, username and description but its history is not managed publicly. A handle, Pak Army (@pak_fauj) took advantage of this and changed its profile’s identity to that of a fake profile of Oman’s Princess. Many prominent people started retweeting its messages thinking it to be a genuine profile. It is likely that this profile was reported to Twitter, and to save itself from getting blocked the account added the word ‘parody’ in its bio. Twitter does not block parody accounts.

The Indian security agencies suspect that the ISI was behind the two hashtags - #ShameOnModi and #ChaosInIndia that was trending on Tuesday and Wednesday. A Pakistan-managed Twitter account had changed its handle name to pose as an Omani princess and tweeted anti-India material on Tuesday.

Interestingly, several old anti-India tweets from the same account, which has now been deleted, were also detected which indicated that the two Pakistani agencies - ISI and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - were operating it.

The ISI is alleged to be behind the propaganda running on social media platforms claiming that Muslims are not safe in India. It may be recalled that the ISI’s cyber cell used the same tactics during the Delhi riots to spread fear and hatred among the Indian Muslims and instigated them to join the jihad against India.

Twitter has suspended a fake account which was used by Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to spread false news about India in the Gulf states.

Twitter has suspended a fake account which was used by Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to spread false news about India in the Gulf states. The suspended Twitter account is @idanialusaf, it was impersonating Noura bint Faisal, a princess of Saudi Arabia by creating a fake ID named @NouraAlSaud and was involved in anti-India propaganda operated from Pakistan. Twitter suspends an account if it has been reported as violating the micro-blogging platform's rules surrounding abuse. The account can be suspended on it is indulges in abusive behaviour, like sending threats to others or impersonating other accounts. Indian security agencies say ISI has been spreading hatred against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gulf countries by using several fake accounts on social media platforms. The intelligence agencies have prepared a dossier of Pakistan's involvement in activities of spreading anti-India messages through fake or hacked accounts on social media. Investigators revealed that fake accounts are being created in the name of royal family members of Gulf countries to spread hatred about India. Also read: 50 terrorists gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir this year; 18 eliminated during lockdown This revelation comes after another twitter account ID @pak_fauj was found to have changed its name to Mona bint Fahd al Said @SayyidaMona a member of the Oman royal family. This account has also been used to spread anti-India propaganda. Several anti-India tweets on ties between India and the Gulf were made from this twitter handle which was retweeted by many including Pakistani media personnel. The dossier prepared by security agencies and accessed by Zee News reveals that hundreds of such Twitter accounts have been used to spread hatred against India and are being operated from Pakistan, but have assumed identities of persons from Gulf nations to push the narrative that there is a backlash against Indian government in Gulf. An Indian security official said, "How ISI executed the fake news campaign; it first dug out old tweets put out by Indians in Gulf with negative references to Muslims and through ISI handles popularised it. It adopted two methods for popularising- fake handles purportedly belonging to high profile people in Gulf like royal family and journalists." A cyber expert Jiten Jain said, "Interesting aspect was that those ISI handles that were claiming that they were India or Pakistan based, started showing themselves to be Gulf based to push the narrative that there is a backlash against Indian govt in Gulf. ISI is using name of royal families to spread hatred against India." The Gulf nations have been very appreciative of PM Modi’s efforts to reduce tension and bring stability in the region, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, and the Pakistani spy agency is trying to create a divide. Omani Princess Mona bint Fahd whose identity was used to create the fake profile issued a statement saying, "Friends, first of all I thank you for your concern to verify the offensive post published through an account impersonating me, which you are sure that I have no connection with it." She confirmed that her social media presence is restricted to two accounts. "With full trust in all of you in strengthening awareness among all regarding such activities, which are not acceptable to the Omani society, I confirm again that my presence in social media is restricted on the following accounts: @hhmonaalsaid and @MonaFahad 13," she said. On Twitter, one can change their name, username and description but its history is not managed publicly. A handle, Pak Army (@pak_fauj) took advantage of this and changed its profile’s identity to that of a fake profile of Oman’s Princess. Many prominent people started retweeting its messages thinking it to be a genuine profile. It is likely that this profile was reported to Twitter, and to save itself from getting blocked the account added the word ‘parody’ in its bio. Twitter does not block parody accounts. The Indian security agencies suspect that the ISI was behind the two hashtags - #ShameOnModi and #ChaosInIndia that was trending on Tuesday and Wednesday. A Pakistan-managed Twitter account had changed its handle name to pose as an Omani princess and tweeted anti-India material on Tuesday. Interestingly, several old anti-India tweets from the same account, which has now been deleted, were also detected which indicated that the two Pakistani agencies - ISI and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - were operating it. The ISI is alleged to be behind the propaganda running on social media platforms claiming that Muslims are not safe in India. It may be recalled that the ISI’s cyber cell used the same tactics during the Delhi riots to spread fear and hatred among the Indian Muslims and instigated them to join the jihad against India.

Twitter suspends ISI's fake account being used to spread fake news against India in Gulf countries

In a bid to curb misinformation spread on social media, Twitter has decided to take down "unverified claims" on a conspiracy theory that falsely linked the cell towers to the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

"We have broadened our guidance on unverified claims that incite people to engage in a harmful activity, could lead to the destruction or damage of critical 5G infrastructure or could lead to widespread panic, social unrest, or large-scale disorder," the Twitter safety team said on Wednesday.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/conspiracy-theorists-continue-burning-5g-towers-claiming-link-to-coronavirus-293796">Conspiracy theorists continue burning 5G towers claiming link to coronavirus</a>

The latest move is part of efforts to curb the spread of misinformation on social media. Earlier this month, several incidents of arson and vandalism of 5G&nbsp;towers were reported in European countries after several conspiracy theories linked coronavirus to the cells towers made rounds on social media.

In the UK, some 50 fires targetting cell towers and other equipment were reported this month. Meanwhile, telecom engineers have been abused on the job 80 times, making the UK the nucleus of the attacks.

Some 16 towers have been torched in the Netherlands, with attacks also reported in Ireland, Cyprus, and Belgium.

The current wave of 5G theories dates back to January, when a Belgian doctor suggested a link to COVID-19. The theories gained momentum in 2019 from Russian state media outlets, which helped push them into US Domestic conversation, disinformation experts say. But there's no evidence that wireless communications - whether 5G or earlier versions - harm the immune system.

 
&nbsp;

In a bid to curb misinformation spread on social media, Twitter has decided to take down "unverified claims" on a conspiracy theory that falsely linked the cell towers to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a bid to curb misinformation spread on social media, Twitter has decided to take down "unverified claims" on a conspiracy theory that falsely linked the cell towers to the coronavirus pandemic. "We have broadened our guidance on unverified claims that incite people to engage in a harmful activity, could lead to the destruction or damage of critical 5G infrastructure or could lead to widespread panic, social unrest, or large-scale disorder," the Twitter safety team said on Wednesday. Also read: Conspiracy theorists continue burning 5G towers claiming link to coronavirus The latest move is part of efforts to curb the spread of misinformation on social media. Earlier this month, several incidents of arson and vandalism of 5G towers were reported in European countries after several conspiracy theories linked coronavirus to the cells towers made rounds on social media. In the UK, some 50 fires targetting cell towers and other equipment were reported this month. Meanwhile, telecom engineers have been abused on the job 80 times, making the UK the nucleus of the attacks. Some 16 towers have been torched in the Netherlands, with attacks also reported in Ireland, Cyprus, and Belgium. The current wave of 5G theories dates back to January, when a Belgian doctor suggested a link to COVID-19. The theories gained momentum in 2019 from Russian state media outlets, which helped push them into US Domestic conversation, disinformation experts say. But there's no evidence that wireless communications - whether 5G or earlier versions - harm the immune system.

Twitter to block tweets on conspiracy theory linking COVID-19 spread to 5G towers

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has been in news recently after transfer rumour emerged on social media that the Argentine was moving to Inter Milan this summers.&nbsp;

But the six-time Ballon d'Or has shut these rumours by posting an Instagram story calling it "fake news".&nbsp;

The striker has even denied a move to his childhood club to Newell's Old Boys.&nbsp;

There were certain rumours about Messi paying the bail money to help his former teammate Ronaldinho's release from a Paraguayan jail.&nbsp;

He took these reports as 'Lie No. 1' (Inter Milan move) and 'Lie No.2' (bail money for Ronaldinho).

"What they said about Newell's Old Boys a few weeks ago is also false, thank God no one believed them," Messi added in the Instagram post.

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According to Reuters, Brazilian legend Ronaldinho Gaucho was released from jail into house arrest in Paraguay on Tuesday after he and his brother paid $1.6 million in bail.

Messi slammed the reports and has hinted to stay at Barcelona at least until the end of his current contract that expires in 2021. Messi has had a troubled relationship with Barcelona's top brass in the recently. The Argentina superstar had slammed Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal over his comments on players not working hard which sparked off the rumours of Messi not staying in the club.&nbsp;

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has been in news recently after transfer rumour emerged on social media that the Argentine was moving to Inter Milan this summers.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has been in news recently after transfer rumour emerged on social media that the Argentine was moving to Inter Milan this summers. But the six-time Ballon d'Or has shut these rumours by posting an Instagram story calling it "fake news". The striker has even denied a move to his childhood club to Newell's Old Boys. There were certain rumours about Messi paying the bail money to help his former teammate Ronaldinho's release from a Paraguayan jail. He took these reports as 'Lie No. 1' (Inter Milan move) and 'Lie No.2' (bail money for Ronaldinho). "What they said about Newell's Old Boys a few weeks ago is also false, thank God no one believed them," Messi added in the Instagram post. According to Reuters, Brazilian legend Ronaldinho Gaucho was released from jail into house arrest in Paraguay on Tuesday after he and his brother paid $1.6 million in bail. Messi slammed the reports and has hinted to stay at Barcelona at least until the end of his current contract that expires in 2021. Messi has had a troubled relationship with Barcelona's top brass in the recently. The Argentina superstar had slammed Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal over his comments on players not working hard which sparked off the rumours of Messi not staying in the club.

'Fake News': Barcelona star Lionel Messi slams rumours related to him

Actor Rajinikanth's clip urging people to support “Janata Curfew” on Twitter was taken down for violating Twitter rules on Saturday. Actor-Politician Rajinikanth on Saturday urged people to participate in the `Janata Curfew` on March 22, an initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to avoid COVID-19 spread in the country.

Actor Rajinikanth's clip urging people to support “Janata Curfew” on Twitter was taken down for violating Twitter rules on Saturday. Actor-Politician Rajinikanth on Saturday urged people to participate in the `Janata Curfew` on March 22, an initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to avoid COVID-19 spread in the country. He took to Twitter and said, "I urge everyone to rise to the occasion and participate in the Janata Curfew by strictly staying indoors and practising social distancing." Cautioning the public he said that Italy tried implementing similar nationwide curfew to prevent stage 3, but due to lack of support from the citizens, the efforts failed, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people to the pandemic. "We don`t want such a crisis in India," he said. He said that in this crucial time let us also remember and thank the selfless service of all the doctors, nurses and medical workers by participating in the nationwide appreciation and prayers at 5 pm on March 22. As soon as the video was posted from his handle, many started calling out the video for spreading fake news. Many raised questions about how staying at home for 12-14 hours can prevent the pandemic from going into “Stage 3” in India. As a result, the tweet was taken down. Rajinikanth’s profile tweeted an image with the text similar to his speech and added the YouTube link of the video. Some Twitter users had also tagged the YouTube alleging that the actor had been spreading misinformation.

Rajinikanth’s tweet urging people to support 'Janta Curfew' taken down for ‘spreading misinformation’

Pakistan's government has approved new rules for regulating cyberspace which opponents say could be used to stifle dissent and free speech.

Under regulations that were approved by the cabinet late last month but were not immediately made public, social media companies will be obliged to help law enforcement agencies access data and to remove online content deemed unlawful.

Companies that do not comply with the rules risk being blocked online, according to a copy of the regulations seen by Reuters.

The approval of the new rules follows accusations by opposition parties that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has sought to intimidate and silence its opponents and allegations of media censorship. Pakistan's military has also faced accusations of cracking down on media and free speech.

But Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqi, the top official at the ministry of information technology that authored the regulations, said the new rules would help "identify and weed out unwanted and slanderous online content."

"We needed to do it to uphold the integrity, decency and respect of individuals and sanctity of institutions," he said.

The new rules on social media are described by the authors as intended to prevent live streaming of online content relating to "terrorism, extremism, hate speech, defamation, fake news, incitement to violence and national security."

Social media companies will be obliged within 24 hours to respond to a request to remove "unlawful" material, or six hours in emergency cases. They will have three months to register with authorities in Pakistan and must have a physical presence in Pakistan.

When required, the companies will be required to provide subscriber information, traffic data, content data and any other information or data that is sought, the regulations stipulate.

The rules also state that interpretations of the regulations by the authorities in Pakistan "shall take precedence over any community standards or rules or community guidelines or policies or any other instruments devised by a social media company."

'Overreach'

Nighat Dad, who runs the not-for-profit Digital Rights Foundation in Pakistan, says the new rules will give the authorities unflinching powers to stifle social media.

"The worrying part for me is that the definition around extremism, religion or culture is so wide and ambiguous and that means they have these unfettered power to call any online content illegal or extremist or anti-state," she told Reuters.

"I do fear that this will be used against dissent, free speech and for political gains."

Farieha Aziz, founder of Bolo Bhi, a digital rights advocacy group, also voiced concern.

"This is the kind of overreach we were worried about," she said. "They're trying to go beyond the ambit of the law, trying to go above and beyond what the law allows them to do."

Pakistan's government has approved new rules for regulating cyberspace which opponents say could be used to stifle dissent and free speech. Under regulations that were approved by the cabinet late last month but were not immediately made public, social media companies will be obliged to help law enforcement agencies access data and to remove online content deemed unlawful.

Pakistan's government has approved new rules for regulating cyberspace which opponents say could be used to stifle dissent and free speech. Under regulations that were approved by the cabinet late last month but were not immediately made public, social media companies will be obliged to help law enforcement agencies access data and to remove online content deemed unlawful. Companies that do not comply with the rules risk being blocked online, according to a copy of the regulations seen by Reuters. The approval of the new rules follows accusations by opposition parties that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has sought to intimidate and silence its opponents and allegations of media censorship. Pakistan's military has also faced accusations of cracking down on media and free speech. But Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqi, the top official at the ministry of information technology that authored the regulations, said the new rules would help "identify and weed out unwanted and slanderous online content." "We needed to do it to uphold the integrity, decency and respect of individuals and sanctity of institutions," he said. The new rules on social media are described by the authors as intended to prevent live streaming of online content relating to "terrorism, extremism, hate speech, defamation, fake news, incitement to violence and national security." Social media companies will be obliged within 24 hours to respond to a request to remove "unlawful" material, or six hours in emergency cases. They will have three months to register with authorities in Pakistan and must have a physical presence in Pakistan. When required, the companies will be required to provide subscriber information, traffic data, content data and any other information or data that is sought, the regulations stipulate. The rules also state that interpretations of the regulations by the authorities in Pakistan "shall take precedence over any community standards or rules or community guidelines or policies or any other instruments devised by a social media company." 'Overreach' Nighat Dad, who runs the not-for-profit Digital Rights Foundation in Pakistan, says the new rules will give the authorities unflinching powers to stifle social media. "The worrying part for me is that the definition around extremism, religion or culture is so wide and ambiguous and that means they have these unfettered power to call any online content illegal or extremist or anti-state," she told Reuters. "I do fear that this will be used against dissent, free speech and for political gains." Farieha Aziz, founder of Bolo Bhi, a digital rights advocacy group, also voiced concern. "This is the kind of overreach we were worried about," she said. "They're trying to go beyond the ambit of the law, trying to go above and beyond what the law allows them to do."

Pakistan's government approves new social media rules, opponents cry foul

Pakistan PM Imran Khan tweets an old video from Bangladesh, calls it 'program against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh. #ImranKhan #FakeNews #Pakistan

Gravitas: Pak PM Imran Khan: The source of fake news!

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/last-year-was-marked-by-defiance-dissent-2020-is-likely-to-be-no-different-271611">Singapore</a>&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;party&nbsp;said on Thursday it was prepared to legally&nbsp;challenge&nbsp;a government order to attach correction&nbsp;notices&nbsp;to its online posts, accusing the government of using a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fake-phone-law-dupes-many-in-singapore-but-wins-support-too-269124">fake&nbsp;news&nbsp;law</a> to stymie political debate.

It marks the first time such a case could head to&nbsp;court&nbsp;since the law came into effect in October.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-stopped-accepting-political-advertisements-in-singapore-month-before-the-elections-266126">Singapore&nbsp;Democratic&nbsp;Party</a>, which has no current representation in parliament, was last month told to issue the&nbsp;notices&nbsp;on an article on its website and related Facebook posts that discussed white-collar jobs in the city-state.

It attached the&nbsp;notices, but on Thursday said it stood by its content and asked for the correction&nbsp;notices&nbsp;to be retracted by the labour ministry.

"We call on the Minister to not only retract the Correction Directions but also issue an immediate, unambiguous and public apology to the SDP failing which we will be obliged to pursue the matter in a&nbsp;court&nbsp;of law," SDP said in a statement on its website.

The law requires recipients of correction orders to comply even if they intend to appeal.

The labour ministry did not have an immediate comment on the SDP's post.

The law empowers ministers to ask online media platforms and users to carry corrections or remove content the government deems false and harms public interest.

Rights groups fear the law may curb free speech, and&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;politicians say it could give the government too much power as elections loom.

Singaporean diplomats have recently defended the law in letters sent to global media outlets like the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/persist-in-2020-hong-kong-gears-up-for-new-year-countdown-unrest-271143">South China Morning Post</a> and Britain's The Economist, saying the correction directions did not restrict debate and gave readers more information.

SDP accused the labour ministry of using the law for "political-partisan purposes to stymie legitimate criticism".

"That the general election is not far away makes our case even more salient," it added.

The three-month-old law has been used four times since November&nbsp;25 with figures linked to other&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;parties who were also told their online posts must carry a banner stating they contain false information.

Singapore's next general elections must be held by early 2021, but the government is widely expected to call for a vote in the next few months.

A Singapore opposition party said on Thursday it was prepared to legally challenge a government order to attach correction notices to its online posts, accusing the government of using a new fake news law to stymie political debate.

A Singapore opposition party said on Thursday it was prepared to legally challenge a government order to attach correction notices to its online posts, accusing the government of using a new fake news law to stymie political debate. It marks the first time such a case could head to court since the law came into effect in October. The Singapore Democratic Party, which has no current representation in parliament, was last month told to issue the notices on an article on its website and related Facebook posts that discussed white-collar jobs in the city-state. It attached the notices, but on Thursday said it stood by its content and asked for the correction notices to be retracted by the labour ministry. "We call on the Minister to not only retract the Correction Directions but also issue an immediate, unambiguous and public apology to the SDP failing which we will be obliged to pursue the matter in a court of law," SDP said in a statement on its website. The law requires recipients of correction orders to comply even if they intend to appeal. The labour ministry did not have an immediate comment on the SDP's post. The law empowers ministers to ask online media platforms and users to carry corrections or remove content the government deems false and harms public interest. Rights groups fear the law may curb free speech, and opposition politicians say it could give the government too much power as elections loom. Singaporean diplomats have recently defended the law in letters sent to global media outlets like the South China Morning Post and Britain's The Economist, saying the correction directions did not restrict debate and gave readers more information. SDP accused the labour ministry of using the law for "political-partisan purposes to stymie legitimate criticism". "That the general election is not far away makes our case even more salient," it added. The three-month-old law has been used four times since November 25 with figures linked to other opposition parties who were also told their online posts must carry a banner stating they contain false information. Singapore's next general elections must be held by early 2021, but the government is widely expected to call for a vote in the next few months.

Singapore: Singapore Democratic Party to challenge fake news notices in court

In a crackdown against state-sponsored propaganda, social-media giants Facebook and Twitter said that they had blocked multiple government-backed manipulation operations around the world.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-blocks-group-spreading-pro-trump-posts-from-fake-accounts-269435">Facebook </a>said that it had blocked a network in Vietnam and the United States which posted pro-Trump messages targetting US citizens.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspends-thousands-of-accounts-that-were-linked-to-saudi-arabia-269402">Twitter</a>, on the other hand, claimed that it had blocked nearly 88,000 accounts linked to Saudi state-backed "information operations", in violation of its manipulation rules.

The Twitter safety team said that their analysis found that the network targetted discussions related to Saudi Arabia and was promoting Riyadh's geopolitical interests at an international level.&nbsp;

"Our internal analysis shows the network was involved in various forms of platform manipulation, targetting discussions related to Saudi Arabia and advancing their geopolitical interests on the world stage," the Twitter team said.&nbsp;

Twitter's investigations revealed Saudi-based social media marketing firm Smaat behind this campaign of manipulation. Smaat has been permanently blocked by the platform.&nbsp;

The Saudi-based firm was working for "high-profile individuals" and for several government departments in Saudi Arabia, Twitter said. Some of the tweets were of 2016 and were supporting&nbsp;the presidential campaign of US President Donald Trump.

Facebook said that the Vietnam network was traced to the multi-language media group Epoch Times, which is linked to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, and a US media outlet called BL, which has been uploading pro-Trump posts.&nbsp;

Facebook also said that it has removed more than 600 accounts on Facebook and Instagram.&nbsp;

"The people behind this activity made widespread use of fake accounts -- many of which had been automatically removed by our systems -- to manage pages and groups, automate posting at very high frequencies and direct traffic to off-platform sites," Facebook security chief Nathaniel Gleicher said.

"The BL-focused network repeatedly violated a number of our policies, including our policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior, spam and misrepresentation, to name just a few."

The Facebook security chief said that the fake accounts shared memes and content focussing on conservative ideology and US political issues such as Trump's impeachment, trade, family values, freedom of religion, among others.

(with inputs from AFP)

In a crackdown against state-sponsored propaganda, social-media giants Facebook and Twitter said that they had blocked multiple government-backed manipulation operations around the world.

In a crackdown against state-sponsored propaganda, social-media giants Facebook and Twitter said that they had blocked multiple government-backed manipulation operations around the world. Facebook said that it had blocked a network in Vietnam and the United States which posted pro-Trump messages targetting US citizens. Twitter, on the other hand, claimed that it had blocked nearly 88,000 accounts linked to Saudi state-backed "information operations", in violation of its manipulation rules. The Twitter safety team said that their analysis found that the network targetted discussions related to Saudi Arabia and was promoting Riyadh's geopolitical interests at an international level. "Our internal analysis shows the network was involved in various forms of platform manipulation, targetting discussions related to Saudi Arabia and advancing their geopolitical interests on the world stage," the Twitter team said. Twitter's investigations revealed Saudi-based social media marketing firm Smaat behind this campaign of manipulation. Smaat has been permanently blocked by the platform. The Saudi-based firm was working for "high-profile individuals" and for several government departments in Saudi Arabia, Twitter said. Some of the tweets were of 2016 and were supporting the presidential campaign of US President Donald Trump. Facebook said that the Vietnam network was traced to the multi-language media group Epoch Times, which is linked to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, and a US media outlet called BL, which has been uploading pro-Trump posts. Facebook also said that it has removed more than 600 accounts on Facebook and Instagram. "The people behind this activity made widespread use of fake accounts -- many of which had been automatically removed by our systems -- to manage pages and groups, automate posting at very high frequencies and direct traffic to off-platform sites," Facebook security chief Nathaniel Gleicher said. "The BL-focused network repeatedly violated a number of our policies, including our policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior, spam and misrepresentation, to name just a few." The Facebook security chief said that the fake accounts shared memes and content focussing on conservative ideology and US political issues such as Trump's impeachment, trade, family values, freedom of religion, among others. (with inputs from AFP)

Facebook, Twitter block state-sponsored manipulation accounts in latest crackdown

Asian city-state&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;is well known for its strict rules: fines can be doled out for everything from feeding birds to forgetting to flush a public toilet.

But this week&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;police had to clarify that using a&nbsp;phone&nbsp;while crossing the road was not illegal after rumours circulated online that doing so could result in a S$1,000 ($733) fine under revised rules.

"There is a message circulating online which claims erroneously that pedestrians who use their mobile&nbsp;phones while crossing the roads may be fined up to $1,000 from December 1, 2019. This is false,"&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;police said in a statement on Facebook".

"However, we advise pedestrians to avoid using such devices when crossing the road, as such usage would distract them from the road conditions and the movement of vehicles around them."

All major domestic media outlets including broadcaster Channel NewsAsia and The Straits Times newspaper carried the police clarification.

But some people said such a&nbsp;law&nbsp;would be a good idea.

"Please make this an offence, simply because people who do this have no regards for other people's safety, and&nbsp;many&nbsp;a time at the traffic lights vehicles have to wait for them to finish crossing even when the lights are not in their favour," reader Alan Kiong commented on the Straits Times' Facebook page.

"Time to look into the matter. No to zombie world," said another Facebook user, I'sha Md Eusuff.

People in&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;spend more than 12 hours a day on gadgets such as mobile&nbsp;phones, tablets, computers and video game consoles, according to a 2017 study by consultancy Ernst &amp; Young.

Asian city-state Singapore is well known for its strict rules: fines can be doled out for everything from feeding birds to forgetting to flush a public toilet. But this week Singapore police had to clarify that using a phone while crossing the road was not illegal after rumours circulated online that doing so could result in a S$1,000 ($733) fine under revised rules.

Asian city-state Singapore is well known for its strict rules: fines can be doled out for everything from feeding birds to forgetting to flush a public toilet. But this week Singapore police had to clarify that using a phone while crossing the road was not illegal after rumours circulated online that doing so could result in a S$1,000 ($733) fine under revised rules. "There is a message circulating online which claims erroneously that pedestrians who use their mobile phones while crossing the roads may be fined up to $1,000 from December 1, 2019. This is false," Singapore police said in a statement on Facebook". "However, we advise pedestrians to avoid using such devices when crossing the road, as such usage would distract them from the road conditions and the movement of vehicles around them." All major domestic media outlets including broadcaster Channel NewsAsia and The Straits Times newspaper carried the police clarification. But some people said such a law would be a good idea. "Please make this an offence, simply because people who do this have no regards for other people's safety, and many a time at the traffic lights vehicles have to wait for them to finish crossing even when the lights are not in their favour," reader Alan Kiong commented on the Straits Times' Facebook page. "Time to look into the matter. No to zombie world," said another Facebook user, I'sha Md Eusuff. People in Singapore spend more than 12 hours a day on gadgets such as mobile phones, tablets, computers and video game consoles, according to a 2017 study by consultancy Ernst & Young.

Fake phone law dupes many in Singapore, but wins support too

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/taiwan-conducts-military-exercise-amid-tensions-with-china-142795">Taiwan</a>&nbsp;is ramping up efforts ahead of a January 11&nbsp;election&nbsp;to combat fake news and disinformation that the government says China is bombarding the island with to undermine its democracy.

But&nbsp;Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang, which favours close ties with China, is crying foul, accusing the ruling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-interfering-in-election-every-day-taiwan-president-tsai-ing-wen-263144">Democratic Progressive Party</a> (DPP) of running its own disinformation campaign, saying the threat is closer to home.

Taiwan's rambunctious democracy has long been deeply polarised and partisan.

Accusations of dirty-doings, denials and counter-denials are part and parcel of political life on the island, played out on its many cable news channels and online, mostly on Facebook, messaging app Line and the&nbsp;Taiwan-focused bulletin board PTT.

Fake news and disinformation campaigns are a problem governments around the world are trying to tackle. US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/donald-trumps-attitude-towards-india-unpredictable-unreliable-238560">Donald Trump</a> has repeatedly lambasted US&nbsp;media for what he says is its "fake news" about him and his administration.

Taiwan, which holds presidential and legislative&nbsp;elections on January 11, says it is particularly vulnerable to influence-peddling by its giant, autocratic neighbour China, which claims&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;as its own territory, to be brought under Beijing's rule by force if need be.

"Taiwan&nbsp;is a democratic, open society. They are using our freedom and openness, bringing in news that is not beneficial to the government," Chiu Chui-cheng, deputy head of&nbsp;Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, told Reuters, referring to China.

"They are seeking to confuse the perception of people. It's a perception war," he said. "Mainland China uses organisations in&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;to help disseminate fake news."

But the Kuomintang and its presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, lagging in the polls behind President Tsai Ing-wen, say voters should focus on what the ruling party is doing to muddy the waters, and should stop trying to "smear them red" a reference to the colours of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-china-communist-partys-xi-event-begins-499">China's Communist Party</a>.

"Have a look on the internet, isn't about more than 90 percent of online news attacks against Han Kuo-yu?" Han's campaign spokeswoman, Anne Wang, told Reuters.

She said almost nobody on the PTT bulletin board supported the Kuomintang, which undermined ruling party complaints of Beijing's interference on behalf of the opposition party.

"If mainland China wants to support the Kuomintang, how can that be the result?" she asked.

"Is their (China's) fake news cyber army too weak? Have they failed? Or is the cyber army in service of the DPP more powerful and ferocious?"

The suicide of&nbsp;Taiwan's consul general in the Japanese city of Osaka last year, following fake reports he had not done enough to help&nbsp;Taiwanese stranded by a typhoon, has been seized upon by the Kuomintang, after Taipei prosecutors this month filed charges against one of the people accused of spreading the reports, a prominent DPP member.

Kuomintang legislator Lai Shyh-bao said it was ironic that Tsai blamed DPP losses in mayoral&nbsp;elections last year on fake news.

"Now we know that she is the commander of all the fake news," Lai said.

The DPP says it had nothing to do with the consul general's death.

"Fake news is encroaching on&nbsp;Taiwan's democracy, splitting apart&nbsp;Taiwan's people. Everyone needs to be on guard," DPP spokeswoman Lee Yen-jong said.

Fact-checking groups say people are being bombarded with fake news and have set up websites and chat rooms, and held seminars, to help people identify it.

Government task forces have been mandated to "bust rumours" while a security agency has launched a "special mission" to crack down on suspected fake news from China to influence votes, according to an official with knowledge of the matter who declined to be identified.

"Fake news destroys trust between people," said Johnson Liang, founder of the group Cofacts.

"When the trust between people has been lost, you won't trust that politicians will do things beneficial to you, neither will you believe that representatives will speak up for you."

China denies seeking to interfere in&nbsp;Taiwan's&nbsp;election.

Its policy-making&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Affairs Office said it was "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mesut-ozil-deceived-by-fake-news-will-be-pleased-to-see-him-go-to-xinjiang-china-268547">fake news</a>" to suggest that it was trying to meddle.

"Every time there is a&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;regional&nbsp;election, various fake news is 'created' to make rumours about and smear the mainland," the office said in a statement to Reuters.

The DPP reacted angrily to pictures on social media supposedly showing its deputy secretary-general, Lin Fei-fan, dining with self-professed&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;spy Wang Liqiang.

Wang has described in Australian media how he worked with China's Communist Party to meddle in&nbsp;Taiwan. China says he is a convicted fraudster. The Kuomintang also says they have serious doubts about his claims.

The DPP says the person identified in the picture as Li is an assistant to a Hong Kong legislator and blamed "China-friendly forces" for the "fake message".

Internet companies have moved to tackle fake news as the&nbsp;elections approach. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/facebook-shares-fall-over-possible-us-antitrust-move-268567">Facebook</a> has vowed to step up efforts to counter disinformation and "state-backed influence operations". Line Corp has teamed up with several advocacy groups to help users verify information.

Facebook last week removed more than 200 accounts, pages and groups to help "protect the integrity of&nbsp;Taiwan's&nbsp;elections".

Taiwan&nbsp;FactCheck Centre, which is collaborating with Line, said it had seen a sharp increase in political messages on the platform since September.

"We're overwhelmed," said Summer Chen, the group's chief editor.

"There are a lot of rumours before the&nbsp;elections. They are spreading faster and mobilising hatred," she told Reuters, referring to rumours she believed were coming from China.

Taiwan is ramping up efforts ahead of a January 11 election to combat fake news and disinformation that the government says China is bombarding the island with to undermine its democracy.

Taiwan is ramping up efforts ahead of a January 11 election to combat fake news and disinformation that the government says China is bombarding the island with to undermine its democracy. But Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang, which favours close ties with China, is crying foul, accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of running its own disinformation campaign, saying the threat is closer to home. Taiwan's rambunctious democracy has long been deeply polarised and partisan. Accusations of dirty-doings, denials and counter-denials are part and parcel of political life on the island, played out on its many cable news channels and online, mostly on Facebook, messaging app Line and the Taiwan-focused bulletin board PTT. Fake news and disinformation campaigns are a problem governments around the world are trying to tackle. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly lambasted US media for what he says is its "fake news" about him and his administration. Taiwan, which holds presidential and legislative elections on January 11, says it is particularly vulnerable to influence-peddling by its giant, autocratic neighbour China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be brought under Beijing's rule by force if need be. "Taiwan is a democratic, open society. They are using our freedom and openness, bringing in news that is not beneficial to the government," Chiu Chui-cheng, deputy head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, told Reuters, referring to China. "They are seeking to confuse the perception of people. It's a perception war," he said. "Mainland China uses organisations in Taiwan to help disseminate fake news." But the Kuomintang and its presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, lagging in the polls behind President Tsai Ing-wen, say voters should focus on what the ruling party is doing to muddy the waters, and should stop trying to "smear them red" a reference to the colours of China's Communist Party. "Have a look on the internet, isn't about more than 90 percent of online news attacks against Han Kuo-yu?" Han's campaign spokeswoman, Anne Wang, told Reuters. She said almost nobody on the PTT bulletin board supported the Kuomintang, which undermined ruling party complaints of Beijing's interference on behalf of the opposition party. "If mainland China wants to support the Kuomintang, how can that be the result?" she asked. "Is their (China's) fake news cyber army too weak? Have they failed? Or is the cyber army in service of the DPP more powerful and ferocious?" The suicide of Taiwan's consul general in the Japanese city of Osaka last year, following fake reports he had not done enough to help Taiwanese stranded by a typhoon, has been seized upon by the Kuomintang, after Taipei prosecutors this month filed charges against one of the people accused of spreading the reports, a prominent DPP member. Kuomintang legislator Lai Shyh-bao said it was ironic that Tsai blamed DPP losses in mayoral elections last year on fake news. "Now we know that she is the commander of all the fake news," Lai said. The DPP says it had nothing to do with the consul general's death. "Fake news is encroaching on Taiwan's democracy, splitting apart Taiwan's people. Everyone needs to be on guard," DPP spokeswoman Lee Yen-jong said. Fact-checking groups say people are being bombarded with fake news and have set up websites and chat rooms, and held seminars, to help people identify it. Government task forces have been mandated to "bust rumours" while a security agency has launched a "special mission" to crack down on suspected fake news from China to influence votes, according to an official with knowledge of the matter who declined to be identified. "Fake news destroys trust between people," said Johnson Liang, founder of the group Cofacts. "When the trust between people has been lost, you won't trust that politicians will do things beneficial to you, neither will you believe that representatives will speak up for you." China denies seeking to interfere in Taiwan's election. Its policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office said it was "fake news" to suggest that it was trying to meddle. "Every time there is a Taiwan regional election, various fake news is 'created' to make rumours about and smear the mainland," the office said in a statement to Reuters. The DPP reacted angrily to pictures on social media supposedly showing its deputy secretary-general, Lin Fei-fan, dining with self-professed Chinese spy Wang Liqiang. Wang has described in Australian media how he worked with China's Communist Party to meddle in Taiwan. China says he is a convicted fraudster. The Kuomintang also says they have serious doubts about his claims. The DPP says the person identified in the picture as Li is an assistant to a Hong Kong legislator and blamed "China-friendly forces" for the "fake message". Internet companies have moved to tackle fake news as the elections approach. Facebook has vowed to step up efforts to counter disinformation and "state-backed influence operations". Line Corp has teamed up with several advocacy groups to help users verify information. Facebook last week removed more than 200 accounts, pages and groups to help "protect the integrity of Taiwan's elections". Taiwan FactCheck Centre, which is collaborating with Line, said it had seen a sharp increase in political messages on the platform since September. "We're overwhelmed," said Summer Chen, the group's chief editor. "There are a lot of rumours before the elections. They are spreading faster and mobilising hatred," she told Reuters, referring to rumours she believed were coming from China.

Chinese 'rumours' and 'cyber armies': Taiwan fights election 'fake news'

To combat the misinformation on the Facebook-owned social media platform, Instagram is expanding its fact-checking program globally.

In its official blog, Instagram explained that the third-party fact-checker program will be expanded out of the US for organisations around the world to assess and rate misinformation.&nbsp;

"In May of this year, we began working with third-party fact-checkers in the US to help identify, review, and label false information. These partners independently assess false information to help us catch it and reduce its distribution," the company stated on its blog post.

Instagram will reduce the distribution of content which is rated as false or partly false by a third-party fact-checker and label it with a link to the rating and articles from credible sources that debunk the claims made in the post.

"When these labels are applied, they will appear to everyone around the world viewing that content – in feed, profile, stories, and direct messages, " the company said.

"We use image-matching technology to find further instances of this content and apply the label, helping reduce the spread of misinformation."

If the content is labelled false on Instagram, Facebook will also reflect the label and vice-versa.&nbsp;

To determine which content should be sent to fact-checkers for review, the company "uses a combination of feedback from our community and technology."

In August, Instagram added a "False Information" feedback option for users to report posts they think are false.

"Today's expansion is an important step in our ongoing efforts to fight misinformation on Instagram," the popular photo-sharing website said.

Facebook started using image-detection on Instagram in May to find content debunked on its flagship app and also expanded its third-party fact-checking program to the app.

Results rated as false are removed from places where users seek out new content, like Instagram's Explore tab and hashtag search results.

Instagram has largely been spared the scrutiny associated with its parent company, which is in the crosshairs of regulators over alleged Russian attempts to spread misinformation around the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election.

But an independent report commissioned by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence found that it was "perhaps the most effective platform" for Russian actors trying to spread false information since the election.

(With inputs from agencies)

To combat the misinformation on the Facebook-owned social media platform, Instagram is expanding its fact-checking program globally. In its official blog, Instagram explained that the third-party fact-checker program will be expanded out of the US for organisations around the world to assess and rate misinformation.

To combat the misinformation on the Facebook-owned social media platform, Instagram is expanding its fact-checking program globally. In its official blog, Instagram explained that the third-party fact-checker program will be expanded out of the US for organisations around the world to assess and rate misinformation. "In May of this year, we began working with third-party fact-checkers in the US to help identify, review, and label false information. These partners independently assess false information to help us catch it and reduce its distribution," the company stated on its blog post. Instagram will reduce the distribution of content which is rated as false or partly false by a third-party fact-checker and label it with a link to the rating and articles from credible sources that debunk the claims made in the post. "When these labels are applied, they will appear to everyone around the world viewing that content – in feed, profile, stories, and direct messages, " the company said. "We use image-matching technology to find further instances of this content and apply the label, helping reduce the spread of misinformation." If the content is labelled false on Instagram, Facebook will also reflect the label and vice-versa. To determine which content should be sent to fact-checkers for review, the company "uses a combination of feedback from our community and technology." In August, Instagram added a "False Information" feedback option for users to report posts they think are false. "Today's expansion is an important step in our ongoing efforts to fight misinformation on Instagram," the popular photo-sharing website said. Facebook started using image-detection on Instagram in May to find content debunked on its flagship app and also expanded its third-party fact-checking program to the app. Results rated as false are removed from places where users seek out new content, like Instagram's Explore tab and hashtag search results. Instagram has largely been spared the scrutiny associated with its parent company, which is in the crosshairs of regulators over alleged Russian attempts to spread misinformation around the 2016 US presidential election. But an independent report commissioned by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence found that it was "perhaps the most effective platform" for Russian actors trying to spread false information since the election. (With inputs from agencies)

Instagram expands its fact-check program to prevent misinformation

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-cm-yogi-adtiyanath-expresses-grief-over-death-of-unnao-rape-victim-266767">Yogi Adityanath</a> on Tuesday held a video conference with the state officials and directed them to keep an eye on people spreading fake news about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019.

The video conference was attended by all the ADGs, Commissioners, IGs, DIGs, DMs, and SSPs.

The Chief Minister also directed the officials to reach out to religious preachers, maulvis and other organisations and made them understand that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/caa-protest-entry-exit-at-jamia-millia-islamia-janpath-stations-closed-says-delhi-metro-268303">CAA 2019</a> is not discriminatory to any religion, caste or community.

"The people who are fanning violence, they are not students, they are devils. A thorough investigation should be conducted against those who are tampering with the laws," he added. The statement from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister came just after protests erupted over the CAA 2019 in Rampur and Prayagraj.

Police have imposed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/aarey-forest-protests-section-144-imposed-police-detain-over-60-activists-253941">section 144</a> in Rampur after more than 200 people took to the streets to protest against the Act.

The Act grants Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-is-india-protesting-citizenship-amendment-act-268599/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday held a video conference with the state officials and directed them to keep an eye on people spreading fake news about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday held a video conference with the state officials and directed them to keep an eye on people spreading fake news about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019. The video conference was attended by all the ADGs, Commissioners, IGs, DIGs, DMs, and SSPs. The Chief Minister also directed the officials to reach out to religious preachers, maulvis and other organisations and made them understand that CAA 2019 is not discriminatory to any religion, caste or community. "The people who are fanning violence, they are not students, they are devils. A thorough investigation should be conducted against those who are tampering with the laws," he added. The statement from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister came just after protests erupted over the CAA 2019 in Rampur and Prayagraj. Police have imposed section 144 in Rampur after more than 200 people took to the streets to protest against the Act. The Act grants Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

Citizenship Amendment Act: Yogi Adityanath directs officials to keep an eye on people spreading fake news

One-third Americans rely on news platforms they acknowledge are less reliable: Study

Out of distrust for Wikipedia, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to roll out a grand Russian Encyclopaedia to put out verifiable facts and data.&nbsp;

Putin's intentions can not be doubted in the wake of all false propaganda that needs to be stubbed out.&nbsp;

However, Russia's track record on internet and press freedom portrays a different story, making the new announcement suspect.&nbsp;

Russia under President Vladimir Putin is on an expansive growth. Into his fourth term of Presidency, Putin is the most popular and by far the longest-serving president of Russia whose every announcement is received with patriotic fervour and nationalistic pride.

It is no wonder then that his recent plan for a home-grown Encyclopaedia, on the lines of Wikipedia, is gaining popular support. This announcement came last month.

The announcement which came last month was referring to was the "Great Russian Encyclopaedia" published by the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2016. This voluminous record needs to be converted to a digital format, which also requires constant updating.

Putin has proposed that once this plan goes online, users can access reliable information in a modern format.

Putin does not trust Wikipedia anymore. In 2015 the Russian language version of Wikipedia was blocked for publishing an article on cannabis and drug-related material.

Similar curbs on internet content are on the rise in Russia. Even press and media organizations have not been spared by Putin.&nbsp;

Russia was on Reporters Without Borders list of countries under surveillance between 2010 and 2013.

In 2014 Russia was put on the internet enemies list

The World Press Freedom Index of 2019 ranks Russia at 149th place among 180 countries.

Attacks on the media are on the rise with 34 reported incidents of journalists being killed in connection with their work.

There is an apparent pattern adopted by Putin that explains the closed ecosystem of information in Russia where truth is increasingly becoming the casualty.

Media in Russia, including the internet is regulated by Roskomnadzor, a set of guidelines maintained by the federal department handling information technology and mass communication.

There is a centralized internet blacklist that the government can use to censor content or switch off for a temporary period without a court order.

In March 2018, a law was passed, introducing fines for those the government perceived to be spreading "fake news" and "disrespect" to the state agencies.

Recently, the Russian state enacted a law to brand any blogger or a foreign journalist working in Russia as a "foreign agent". Once branded, fines and bureaucratic restrictions will follow, pushing such groups or individuals to shut down.

Seen in this light, Putin's plans to replace Wikipedia has met criticism. Unlike China or Turkey, where Wikipedia is banned, Putin has softly suggested the creation of an alternative.

The project will require about 2 billion roubles, which is close to 31 million US dollars.

The high cost is a part of a long term strategy for Putin, which is to ensure that no news against Russia reaches the world.

Out of distrust for Wikipedia, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to roll out a grand Russian Encyclopaedia to put out verifiable facts and data. Putin's intentions can not be doubted in the wake of all false propaganda that needs to be stubbed out.

Out of distrust for Wikipedia, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to roll out a grand Russian Encyclopaedia to put out verifiable facts and data. Putin's intentions can not be doubted in the wake of all false propaganda that needs to be stubbed out. However, Russia's track record on internet and press freedom portrays a different story, making the new announcement suspect. Russia under President Vladimir Putin is on an expansive growth. Into his fourth term of Presidency, Putin is the most popular and by far the longest-serving president of Russia whose every announcement is received with patriotic fervour and nationalistic pride. It is no wonder then that his recent plan for a home-grown Encyclopaedia, on the lines of Wikipedia, is gaining popular support. This announcement came last month. The announcement which came last month was referring to was the "Great Russian Encyclopaedia" published by the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2016. This voluminous record needs to be converted to a digital format, which also requires constant updating. Putin has proposed that once this plan goes online, users can access reliable information in a modern format. Putin does not trust Wikipedia anymore. In 2015 the Russian language version of Wikipedia was blocked for publishing an article on cannabis and drug-related material. Similar curbs on internet content are on the rise in Russia. Even press and media organizations have not been spared by Putin. Russia was on Reporters Without Borders list of countries under surveillance between 2010 and 2013. In 2014 Russia was put on the internet enemies list The World Press Freedom Index of 2019 ranks Russia at 149th place among 180 countries. Attacks on the media are on the rise with 34 reported incidents of journalists being killed in connection with their work. There is an apparent pattern adopted by Putin that explains the closed ecosystem of information in Russia where truth is increasingly becoming the casualty. Media in Russia, including the internet is regulated by Roskomnadzor, a set of guidelines maintained by the federal department handling information technology and mass communication. There is a centralized internet blacklist that the government can use to censor content or switch off for a temporary period without a court order. In March 2018, a law was passed, introducing fines for those the government perceived to be spreading "fake news" and "disrespect" to the state agencies. Recently, the Russian state enacted a law to brand any blogger or a foreign journalist working in Russia as a "foreign agent". Once branded, fines and bureaucratic restrictions will follow, pushing such groups or individuals to shut down. Seen in this light, Putin's plans to replace Wikipedia has met criticism. Unlike China or Turkey, where Wikipedia is banned, Putin has softly suggested the creation of an alternative. The project will require about 2 billion roubles, which is close to 31 million US dollars. The high cost is a part of a long term strategy for Putin, which is to ensure that no news against Russia reaches the world.

Russian Encyclopaedia to replace Wikipedia in Putin's expensive attempt to curb 'fake news'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sundar-pichai-named-alphabet-ceo-google-co-founders-step-down-266045">Google</a> has stopped accepting political advertisements in Singapore months before a widely expected election, according to documents shared by a small political party which said it was angered by the decision that denies it, voter, reach.

In email correspondence between the Singapore Democratic Party and a senior Google public policy official, the tech firm said it "will not accept advertising regulated by the Code of Practice for Transparency of Online Political Advertisements".

A spokeswoman for Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google told Reuters the email exchange was authentic but declined to comment further.

The new code of practice, part of a controversial '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-bans-fake-news-created-with-ai-bots-265404">fake news</a>' law introduced in October, requires advertising intermediaries to maintain detailed records of political adverts and their sponsors and make those records available to authorities.

The code applies to "all advertisement or paid content that can reasonably be regarded as being directed towards a political end".

In the correspondence shared with media in a statement by SDP, Google's Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy, APAC, Ted Osius, said: "This was not an easy decision to make as Google is committed to delivering useful and relevant election-related information to users around the world."

Singapore, which has been ruled by the People's Action Party since independence in 1965, has repeatedly said it is vulnerable to foreign interference in its domestic affairs.

The city-state is gearing up for an election expected to take place within months.

SDP said the "shocking policy" would deprive voters of information ahead of that ballot.

"In an election with the media totally dominated by the state, alternative parties would have no ability to educate and inform the voters of Singapore in the run-up to the elections if we are not able to use&nbsp;Google's advertising platforms in the first place," Paul Tambyah, chairman of SDP, said in the correspondence.

The office administrating Singapore's new fake news law called the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Unlike Google, social media giant <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/facebook-to-welcome-its-first-ever-facebook-tv-18323">Facebook</a> is still accepting political advertisements in Singapore after implementing new rules under the 'fake news' laws in September.

Facebook on Saturday attached a correction notice to a user's post in the first such instance under the new law.

Rights groups have raised concerns the fake news law could be used to stifle free speech and chill dissent in Singapore, charges government officials have denied.

Google banned political advertising on its platform before Canada's federal election earlier this year, after the country introduced stringent transparency rules.

Google also said last month it would stop giving advertisers data such as public voter records and general political affiliations to target their ads. The move coincides with pressure on social media platforms over their handling of political ads ahead of the US&nbsp;presidential election in 2020.

Google has stopped accepting political advertisements in Singapore months before a widely expected election, according to documents shared by a small political party which said it was angered by the decision that denies it, voter, reach.

Google has stopped accepting political advertisements in Singapore months before a widely expected election, according to documents shared by a small political party which said it was angered by the decision that denies it, voter, reach. In email correspondence between the Singapore Democratic Party and a senior Google public policy official, the tech firm said it "will not accept advertising regulated by the Code of Practice for Transparency of Online Political Advertisements". A spokeswoman for Alphabet Inc's Google told Reuters the email exchange was authentic but declined to comment further. The new code of practice, part of a controversial 'fake news' law introduced in October, requires advertising intermediaries to maintain detailed records of political adverts and their sponsors and make those records available to authorities. The code applies to "all advertisement or paid content that can reasonably be regarded as being directed towards a political end". In the correspondence shared with media in a statement by SDP, Google's Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy, APAC, Ted Osius, said: "This was not an easy decision to make as Google is committed to delivering useful and relevant election-related information to users around the world." Singapore, which has been ruled by the People's Action Party since independence in 1965, has repeatedly said it is vulnerable to foreign interference in its domestic affairs. The city-state is gearing up for an election expected to take place within months. SDP said the "shocking policy" would deprive voters of information ahead of that ballot. "In an election with the media totally dominated by the state, alternative parties would have no ability to educate and inform the voters of Singapore in the run-up to the elections if we are not able to use Google's advertising platforms in the first place," Paul Tambyah, chairman of SDP, said in the correspondence. The office administrating Singapore's new fake news law called the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Unlike Google, social media giant Facebook is still accepting political advertisements in Singapore after implementing new rules under the 'fake news' laws in September. Facebook on Saturday attached a correction notice to a user's post in the first such instance under the new law. Rights groups have raised concerns the fake news law could be used to stifle free speech and chill dissent in Singapore, charges government officials have denied. Google banned political advertising on its platform before Canada's federal election earlier this year, after the country introduced stringent transparency rules. Google also said last month it would stop giving advertisers data such as public voter records and general political affiliations to target their ads. The move coincides with pressure on social media platforms over their handling of political ads ahead of the US presidential election in 2020.

Google stops accepting political advertisements in Singapore month before the elections

China has issued new rules banning online video and audio providers from using artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality technologies to produce "fake news.

China has issued new rules banning online video and audio providers from using artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality technologies to produce "fake news." The regulation published Friday by China's cyberspace authority said that both providers and users of online video news and audio services are "not allowed" to use new technologies such as deep learning and virtual reality to create, distribute and broadcast "fake news." "Fake news" has been generalised to mean anything from a mistake to a parody or a deliberate misinterpretation of facts. The rules come into effect on January 1, 2020. Failure to follow them could be considered a criminal offence, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said, without offering details on punishments. The rules require videos and audio tracks produced using AI or virtual reality technologies to carry clear labels warning users. The regulations particularly stressed the dangers of "deepfakes," or technology that manipulates videos to appear genuine but which depict events or speech that never happened. Deepfake technologies could "disrupt social order and violate people’s interests, creating political risks and bringing a negative impact to national security and social stability," the cyberspace authority warned. Concerns over deepfakes have grown since the 2016 US election campaign which saw wide use of online disinformation, according to US investigations. China's top legislative body said earlier this year it was considering making deepfake technology illegal. A Chinese face-swapping app Zao, which allows users to convincingly superimpose their own likeness over characters in movies or TV shows, led to a heated debate on the abuses of deepfake technologies in September.

China bans 'fake news' created with artificial intelligence, bots

Singapore&nbsp;political figure Brad Bowyer on Monday corrected a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;post&nbsp;questioning the independence of state investment firms following a government request, in the&nbsp;first&nbsp;use of the country's new "fake news"&nbsp;law.

Bowyer used "false and misleading" statements alleging the government influenced decisions made by state investors<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-%26-economy/singapores-temasek-reports-record-235-bn-portfolio-150518"> Temasek Holdings</a> and<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bank-lic-gic-unions-to-protest-against-govt-policies-tomorrow-151379"> GIC</a>, according to a statement on the official government fact-checking website.

Bowyer said he had placed a correction notice with a link to the government statement above his&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;post&nbsp;following a request to do so under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).

"I have no problem in following that request as I feel it is fair to have both points of view and clarifications and corrections of fact when necessary," Bowyer said in a statement on&nbsp;Facebook.

"In general, I caution all those who comment on our domestic politics and social issues to do so with due care and attention especially if you speak from any place of influence."

Bowyer, a naturalized&nbsp;Singaporean born in Britain, has been a member of the ruling party and opposition parties but has never stood for elected office.

A spokesman for the newly-created POFMA office said the correction requested by the minister for finance was the&nbsp;first&nbsp;case under the new&nbsp;law, which came into effect in October.

Rights groups have raised concerns the fake news&nbsp;law&nbsp;will be used to stifle free speech and chill dissent in the city-state, where the ruling party has comfortably won every election since independence in 1965.

Singapore&nbsp;says it is particularly vulnerable to fake news because of its position as a global financial hub, its mixed ethnic and religious population, and widespread internet access.

Singapore political figure Brad Bowyer on Monday corrected a Facebook post questioning the independence of state investment firms following a government request, in the first use of the country's new "fake news" law.

Singapore political figure Brad Bowyer on Monday corrected a Facebook post questioning the independence of state investment firms following a government request, in the first use of the country's new "fake news" law. Bowyer used "false and misleading" statements alleging the government influenced decisions made by state investors Temasek Holdings and GIC, according to a statement on the official government fact-checking website. Bowyer said he had placed a correction notice with a link to the government statement above his Facebook post following a request to do so under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA). "I have no problem in following that request as I feel it is fair to have both points of view and clarifications and corrections of fact when necessary," Bowyer said in a statement on Facebook. "In general, I caution all those who comment on our domestic politics and social issues to do so with due care and attention especially if you speak from any place of influence." Bowyer, a naturalized Singaporean born in Britain, has been a member of the ruling party and opposition parties but has never stood for elected office. A spokesman for the newly-created POFMA office said the correction requested by the minister for finance was the first case under the new law, which came into effect in October. Rights groups have raised concerns the fake news law will be used to stifle free speech and chill dissent in the city-state, where the ruling party has comfortably won every election since independence in 1965. Singapore says it is particularly vulnerable to fake news because of its position as a global financial hub, its mixed ethnic and religious population, and widespread internet access.

Singapore invokes 'fake news' law for first time over Facebook post

Thailand unveiled an "anti-fake news" centre on Friday, the Southeast Asian country's latest effort to exert government control over a sweeping range of online content.

The move came as Thailand is counting on the digital economy to drive growth amid domestic political tensions, following a March election that installed its junta leader since 2014 as a civilian prime minister.

Thailand has recently pressed more cybercrime charges for what it says is misinformation affecting national security. Such content is mostly opinion critical of the government, the military or the royal family.

Minister of Digital Economy and Society Puttipong Punnakanta broadly defined "fake news" as any viral online content that misleads people or damages the country's image. He made no distinction between non-malicious false information and deliberate disinformation.

"The centre is not intended to be a tool to support the government or any individual," Puttipong said on Friday before giving reporters a tour.

The centre is set up like a war room, with monitors in the middle of the room showing charts tracking the latest "fake news" and trending Twitter&nbsp;hashtags.

It is staffed by around 30 officers at a time, who will review online content, gathered through "social listening" tools,&nbsp;on a sweeping range of topics from natural disasters, the economy, health products and illicit goods.

The officers will also target news about government policies and content that broadly affects "peace and order, good morals, and national security," according to Puttipong.

If they suspect something is false, they will flag it to relevant authorities to issue corrections through the centre's social media platforms and website and through the press.

Rights groups and media freedom advocates were concerned the government could use the centre as a tool for censorship and propaganda.

"In the Thai context, the term 'fake news' is being weaponised to censor dissidents and restrict our online freedom," said Emilie Pradichit, director of the Thailand-based Manushya Foundation, which advocates for online rights.

Pradichit said the move could be used to codify censorship, adding the centre would allow the government to be the "sole arbiter of truth".

Transparency reports from internet companies such as Facebook&nbsp;and Google&nbsp;show Thai government requests to take down content or turn over information have ramped up since the military seized power in 2014.

A law prohibiting criticism of the monarchy has often been the basis for such requests for Facebook. In Google's cases, government criticism was the main reason cited for removal of content.

Thailand unveiled an "anti-fake news" centre on Friday, the Southeast Asian country's latest effort to exert government control over a sweeping range of online content.

Thailand unveiled an "anti-fake news" centre on Friday, the Southeast Asian country's latest effort to exert government control over a sweeping range of online content. The move came as Thailand is counting on the digital economy to drive growth amid domestic political tensions, following a March election that installed its junta leader since 2014 as a civilian prime minister. Thailand has recently pressed more cybercrime charges for what it says is misinformation affecting national security. Such content is mostly opinion critical of the government, the military or the royal family. Minister of Digital Economy and Society Puttipong Punnakanta broadly defined "fake news" as any viral online content that misleads people or damages the country's image. He made no distinction between non-malicious false information and deliberate disinformation. "The centre is not intended to be a tool to support the government or any individual," Puttipong said on Friday before giving reporters a tour. The centre is set up like a war room, with monitors in the middle of the room showing charts tracking the latest "fake news" and trending Twitter hashtags. It is staffed by around 30 officers at a time, who will review online content, gathered through "social listening" tools, on a sweeping range of topics from natural disasters, the economy, health products and illicit goods. The officers will also target news about government policies and content that broadly affects "peace and order, good morals, and national security," according to Puttipong. If they suspect something is false, they will flag it to relevant authorities to issue corrections through the centre's social media platforms and website and through the press. Rights groups and media freedom advocates were concerned the government could use the centre as a tool for censorship and propaganda. "In the Thai context, the term 'fake news' is being weaponised to censor dissidents and restrict our online freedom," said Emilie Pradichit, director of the Thailand-based Manushya Foundation, which advocates for online rights. Pradichit said the move could be used to codify censorship, adding the centre would allow the government to be the "sole arbiter of truth". Transparency reports from internet companies such as Facebook and Google show Thai government requests to take down content or turn over information have ramped up since the military seized power in 2014. A law prohibiting criticism of the monarchy has often been the basis for such requests for Facebook. In Google's cases, government criticism was the main reason cited for removal of content.

Thailand unveils 'anti-fake news' centre to police the internet

The Supreme Court on Monday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-issues-notices-to-centre-uidai-on-petition-challenging-aadhar-ordinance-233388">refused to entertain a petition</a> seeking a direction to the central government to link social media accounts with the Aadhaar number to check the menace of fake and paid news. 
 
A bench headed by Justice Deepak Gupta, however, allowed the petitioner, Ashwini Upadhyay, to approach the concerned High Court. 
 
"Everything doesn't need to come to the Supreme Court. This issue is before the Madras High Court, you go there," the top court said. 
 
Upadhyay, through his petition, sought a direction to the Centre to deactivate the duplicate and fake social media accounts in order to control fake and paid news. 
 
The plea also wanted the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uidai-plans-to-open-aadhar-seva-kendras-in-53-cities-170507">government to link the profiles on such platforms</a>, including those on Facebook and Twitter with the Aadhaar number.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition seeking a direction to the central government to link social media accounts with the Aadhaar number to check the menace of fake and paid news.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition seeking a direction to the central government to link social media accounts with the Aadhaar number to check the menace of fake and paid news. A bench headed by Justice Deepak Gupta, however, allowed the petitioner, Ashwini Upadhyay, to approach the concerned High Court. "Everything doesn't need to come to the Supreme Court. This issue is before the Madras High Court, you go there," the top court said. Upadhyay, through his petition, sought a direction to the Centre to deactivate the duplicate and fake social media accounts in order to control fake and paid news. The plea also wanted the government to link the profiles on such platforms, including those on Facebook and Twitter with the Aadhaar number.

Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea for linking social media with Aadhar

Thousands of Indonesians are still in shelters nearly two weeks after a deadly earthquake sparked a stream of fake news and hoaxes warning that an even bigger disaster was looming, the government said Monday.

The local government has declared a state of emergency until Wednesday, with nearly 135,000 people in evacuation shelters and tents.

Many displaced people are too scared to return to their homes in the remote Maluku islands after the area suffered more than 1,000 aftershocks following a 6.5-magnitude quake on September 26 that killed dozens and damaged scores of homes and other buildings, the agency said.

Terrified residents ran into the streets following the quake, which sparked landslides that buried at least one of the victims.&nbsp;

The strong jolt killed 37 people, including several young children, and injured dozens of others.

More than 6,000 houses were damaged, according to official figures.

Fears about aftershocks have been aggravated by a stream of hoaxes and fake news -- mostly on WhatsApp and other messaging services -- that warned a tsunami-generating quake was about to strike.

"It's up to you if you want to believe me or not, but I talked with my relative and apparently Ambon is going to sink in the next few days," said one message circulated on WhatsApp.

National disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said the fake news was making a bad situation worse.

"There are so many hoaxes about a bigger earthquake and tsunami," he told AFP.

"People are scared and so they chose to stay in shelters," Wibowo added.

Even some whose houses weren't damaged in the quake have refused to go home despite efforts to convince them it was safe, Wibowo said.

"Many people also thought they're not allowed to go back during the state of emergency, which is actually false," he added.&nbsp;

The Southeast Asian nation is one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth.&nbsp;

It experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.&nbsp;

Last year, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island left more than 4,300 people dead or missing.&nbsp;

In 2004, a devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.

Thousands of Indonesians are still in shelters nearly two weeks after a deadly earthquake sparked a stream of fake news and hoaxes warning that an even bigger disaster was looming, the government said Monday.

Thousands of Indonesians are still in shelters nearly two weeks after a deadly earthquake sparked a stream of fake news and hoaxes warning that an even bigger disaster was looming, the government said Monday. The local government has declared a state of emergency until Wednesday, with nearly 135,000 people in evacuation shelters and tents. Many displaced people are too scared to return to their homes in the remote Maluku islands after the area suffered more than 1,000 aftershocks following a 6.5-magnitude quake on September 26 that killed dozens and damaged scores of homes and other buildings, the agency said. Terrified residents ran into the streets following the quake, which sparked landslides that buried at least one of the victims. The strong jolt killed 37 people, including several young children, and injured dozens of others. More than 6,000 houses were damaged, according to official figures. Fears about aftershocks have been aggravated by a stream of hoaxes and fake news -- mostly on WhatsApp and other messaging services -- that warned a tsunami-generating quake was about to strike. "It's up to you if you want to believe me or not, but I talked with my relative and apparently Ambon is going to sink in the next few days," said one message circulated on WhatsApp. National disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said the fake news was making a bad situation worse. "There are so many hoaxes about a bigger earthquake and tsunami," he told AFP. "People are scared and so they chose to stay in shelters," Wibowo added. Even some whose houses weren't damaged in the quake have refused to go home despite efforts to convince them it was safe, Wibowo said. "Many people also thought they're not allowed to go back during the state of emergency, which is actually false," he added. The Southeast Asian nation is one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth. It experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide. Last year, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island left more than 4,300 people dead or missing. In 2004, a devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.

Fake news sparks panic among Indonesia quake victims

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