Tackling the disinformation threat in India, Pg 7

Key Highlights

Disinformation as a Global Risk

• The WEF Global Risks Report 2025 ranks misinformation/disinformation as the top short-term global threat.

• AI-generated content, algorithmic bias, and deepfake technologies worsen trust deficits.

• Platforms like Weibo, TikTok have been banned post-2017 for Chinese-origin propaganda.

India’s Vulnerability

• With 900 million Internet users, India is highly exposed to disinformation risks:

  • Fuels communal tensions, voter manipulation, economic coercion.

  • Political and non-state actors exploit declining mainstream media.

  • Survey: 46% of disinformation political, followed by general (33.6%) and religious (16.8%) content.

Youth and Digital Spaces

• India’s youth are highly vulnerable to false information due to:

  • Reliance on family/peers for news.

  • Declining critical thinking in digital literacy.

Recommended Measures

• Global Risk Report 2025 advises:

  • Upskilling developers, digital literacy, transparency in algorithms.

  • AI governance via independent supervisory boards and councils.

  • Indian initiatives like Shakti, Deepfakes Analysis Unit, and India Election Fact-Checking Collective helped curb misinformation in 2024 polls.

Policy Reforms Suggested

• Follow EU’s Digital Services Act model for India’s large user base (400M on Facebook, 500M on WhatsApp).

• Stronger regulations for platform transparency, AI-generated content, and audits of large platforms.

Analysis & Way Forward

• Misinformation is not just a tech issue—it's a democratic challenge threatening trust and social cohesion.

• India needs cross-border coalitions, independent risk assessments, and fact-checking frameworks.

• Public awareness and grassroots campaigns (e.g., RBI’s Financial Literacy Campaign) must be expanded.

Mains Mock Question:

"Discuss the growing challenge of disinformation in India. Evaluate existing efforts to tackle the threat and suggest a comprehensive policy response for safeguarding democratic values."