Disinformation: Spread, impact and Interventions in Indian context
By: S. Kiran
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Material type: 
BookPublisher: The Indian Police Journal Description: 67(1), Jan-Mar, 2020: p.28-39.Subject(s): Rumor, Gossip, Truthfulness and falsehood
In:
The Indian Police JournalSummary: The spread of false and misleading content and the ways in which it spreads and influences people have increased with the rapid proliferation of online news content and social media. The increasing use and acceptance of social media platforms provide a fertile ground for the spread of false information that is dangerous for the community as a whole. The risks posed by disinformation include rumour mongering, propaganda, targeted attacks and incitement of riots and violence. The very nature of crimes instigated by disinformation point to the fact that the news has the capability to cater to the section of the population that believes them as genuine. Gartner Research predicts that by 2022, the majority of individuals in mature economies will consume more false information than accurate information. This is a very serious proposition, threatening the very fabric society in which we live. The technology which once was considered as a saviour has come back to haunt humanity. In this context, the ways and means to control the spread of disinformation and misinformation need to be discussed. Various mechanisms to identify and detect disinformation are being used, artificial intelligence and machine learning being some of them. The challenges in identifying/tracing the source, classification and control of disinformation are mentioned. We discuss how different social media platforms deal with disinformation. However, technology alone would not be sufficient to control the menace of disinformation. India poses a considerable challenge with 22 official languages. Multiple combinations of transliterations are a linguistic challenge in terms of deciphering the content. Some legislative measures have been undertaken in certain countries to control disinformation. We discuss a case study of how awareness campaigns have helped the fight against disinformation in the state of Telangana. The collaborative efforts of the government and the service providers armed with unambiguous legislation seem to be a possible solution to controlling the menace of disinformation.- Reproduced
| Item type | Current location | Call number | Vol info | Status | Date due | Barcode |
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Articles
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Indian Institute of Public Administration | 67(1), Jan-Mar, 2020: p.28-39 | Available | AR123373 |
The spread of false and misleading content and the ways in which it spreads and influences people have increased with the rapid proliferation of online news content and social media. The increasing use and acceptance of social media platforms provide a fertile ground for the spread of false information that is dangerous for the community as a whole. The risks posed by disinformation include rumour mongering, propaganda, targeted attacks and incitement of riots and violence. The very nature of crimes instigated by disinformation point to the fact that the news has the capability to cater to the section of the population that believes them as genuine. Gartner Research predicts that by 2022, the majority of individuals in mature economies will consume more false information than accurate information. This is a very serious proposition, threatening the very fabric society in which we live. The technology which once was considered as a saviour has come back to haunt humanity. In this context, the ways and means to control the spread of disinformation and misinformation need to be discussed. Various mechanisms to identify and detect disinformation are being used, artificial intelligence and machine learning being some of them. The challenges in identifying/tracing the source, classification and control of disinformation are mentioned. We discuss how different social media platforms deal with disinformation. However, technology alone would not be sufficient to control the menace of disinformation. India poses a considerable challenge with 22 official languages. Multiple combinations of transliterations are a linguistic challenge in terms of deciphering the content. Some legislative measures have been undertaken in certain countries to control disinformation. We discuss a case study of how awareness campaigns have helped the fight against disinformation in the state of Telangana. The collaborative efforts of the government and the service providers armed with unambiguous legislation seem to be a possible solution to controlling the menace of disinformation.- Reproduced
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