The Telangana government is planning to rollout a one-stop digital solution to fight the fake news menace that has become a challenge in the State’s effort against the coronavirus outbreak. “We are planning a WhatsApp number where citizens can get messages checked for authenticity, a website, as well as an archive of fact-checked information,” said Dileep Konatham, Director, Digital Media, Telangana government.
Even as Mr. Konatham was speaking, a fake news about an order from Prime Minister’s office began to circulate. “It is an order from Malaysian Prime Minister’s office but the mischievous elements have erased the word Malaysia from the letter to make it appear like Indian PM’s office. Fake news is not entirely fake but quoted out of context or with changed content,” said Mr. Konatham, who has been pushing up to the minute authenticated information about Covid-19 in the state.
“Miracle cures are a big category of fake news that keep on circulating,” says Rakesh Reddy Dubbudu who is partnering with Facebook and WhatsApp for checking fake news. Even information about moving individuals for testing of coronavirus at quarantine facilities are being spread as a confirmed case. On March 15, at about 9 p.m., a video of a person dressed in Hazmat suit entering an ambulance became viral as a case of COVID-19. But within hours, the news was dismissed as fake without as much as an apology. There are countless others that keep popping every few hours, including one asking people to stay indoors for spraying of a chemical to destroy the virus.
Telangana is not new to fighting the fake news menace. Two years back, the State government succeeded in creating a mechanism to check fake news in the initial days of mob lynchings based on WA forwards about organ harvesters and child lifters that killed dozens across the country.
In the case of COVID-19 pandemic, the State has been more aggressive. It has invoked the Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and sent a few individuals to the prison. The social media sites are also doing their bit. Any search of coronavirus shows up results hosted on the World Health Organisation site or the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. “To make sure you get the best information on the coronavirus (COVID-19), resources are available from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and World Health Organization,” says one of the social media site.
