Whatsapp Lynchings

In a bid to contain widespread rumours of child kidnapping leading to incidents of lynching in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has instructed all district police chiefs to slap National Security Act (NSA) against those who are found inciting mob or spreading rumours on social media

Misinformation on WhatsApp has led to the lynching of over 30 people since January last year, according to data portal IndiaSpend, prompting technology mister to call on WhatsApp to trace its origins.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp on Tuesday announced that it has selected 20 research teams worldwide - including experts from India and those of Indian origin -- who will work towards how misinformation spreads and what additional steps the mobile messaging platform could take to curb fake news.

Media professionals must rely on varied sources to prevent circulation of wrong information, a US digital disinformation expert said on Friday.

Stepping up crackdown efforts on the spread of fake news, WhatsApp said today that it is expanding its radio campaign to 10 more states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

The Centre may take legal action against India-based heads of social media platforms if they do not curb online hate and misinformation, an official said today in an indication that the government is willing to take tough action against platforms like WhatsApp.

The telecom department has sought views of the industry on technical measures that can be adopted for blocking mobile apps like instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc in situations where national security and public order are under threat.

Karnataka mob lynching: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration, which has been facing criticism from opposition parties and the public for failing to do enough to stop the lynchings, has blamed WhatsApp, warning the messaging service of legal action if it did not curb the spread of fake news.

A mentally challenged woman was allegedly beaten to death on Saturday, by a mob at Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, on suspicion of child-theft, after a WhatsApp message about child lifters was circulated by locals said the police.

No-trust motion: Before facing an opposition-backed no-confidence motion in parliament today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a meeting with five top BJP leaders -- party president Amit Shah and ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari and Ananth Kumar.

Facebook Inc's WhatsApp is launching a test to limit forwarding messages that will apply to all users, the messaging app said on Thursday, after Indian authorities sought curbs on spread of rumours that have led to violent incidents.

As WhatsApp struggles to rein in an epidemic of fake messages that have triggered a spate of mob killings across India, the government today sent it a tough message. WhatsApp, which had responded to the string of violent killings with a move to label forwarded messages and take out full-page newspaper ads, must do more, the centre told the Facebook...

A WhatsApp video wrongly identifying Hyderabad techie Mohammad Azam Usmansab as a child lifter led to his lynching near Bidar on July 13, police said.

A journalist in north Maharashtra who created a fake video. Local stringers in Jharkhand and Hyderabad who sent out alarmist messages. A 'lone wolf' in Assam who summoned a mob.

A 32-year-old software engineer was beaten to death and three others - one of them a Qatar national -- were seriously injured over WhatsApp-driven rumours of child kidnapping in Karnataka's Bidar. The police said the mob frenzy started after the man from Qatar was seen distributing chocolates to local children. The police have arrested 32 people.

In a bid to contain widespread rumours of child kidnapping leading to incidents of lynching in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has instructed all district police chiefs to slap National Security Act (NSA) against those who are found inciting mob or spreading rumours on social media

Misinformation on WhatsApp has led to the lynching of over 30 people since January last year, according to data portal IndiaSpend, prompting technology mister to call on WhatsApp to trace its origins.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp on Tuesday announced that it has selected 20 research teams worldwide - including experts from India and those of Indian origin -- who will work towards how misinformation spreads and what additional steps the mobile messaging platform could take to curb fake news.

Media professionals must rely on varied sources to prevent circulation of wrong information, a US digital disinformation expert said on Friday.

Stepping up crackdown efforts on the spread of fake news, WhatsApp said today that it is expanding its radio campaign to 10 more states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

The Centre may take legal action against India-based heads of social media platforms if they do not curb online hate and misinformation, an official said today in an indication that the government is willing to take tough action against platforms like WhatsApp.

The telecom department has sought views of the industry on technical measures that can be adopted for blocking mobile apps like instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc in situations where national security and public order are under threat.

Karnataka mob lynching: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration, which has been facing criticism from opposition parties and the public for failing to do enough to stop the lynchings, has blamed WhatsApp, warning the messaging service of legal action if it did not curb the spread of fake news.

A mentally challenged woman was allegedly beaten to death on Saturday, by a mob at Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, on suspicion of child-theft, after a WhatsApp message about child lifters was circulated by locals said the police.

No-trust motion: Before facing an opposition-backed no-confidence motion in parliament today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a meeting with five top BJP leaders -- party president Amit Shah and ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari and Ananth Kumar.

Facebook Inc's WhatsApp is launching a test to limit forwarding messages that will apply to all users, the messaging app said on Thursday, after Indian authorities sought curbs on spread of rumours that have led to violent incidents.

As WhatsApp struggles to rein in an epidemic of fake messages that have triggered a spate of mob killings across India, the government today sent it a tough message. WhatsApp, which had responded to the string of violent killings with a move to label forwarded messages and take out full-page newspaper ads, must do more, the centre told the Facebook...

A WhatsApp video wrongly identifying Hyderabad techie Mohammad Azam Usmansab as a child lifter led to his lynching near Bidar on July 13, police said.

A journalist in north Maharashtra who created a fake video. Local stringers in Jharkhand and Hyderabad who sent out alarmist messages. A 'lone wolf' in Assam who summoned a mob.

A 32-year-old software engineer was beaten to death and three others - one of them a Qatar national -- were seriously injured over WhatsApp-driven rumours of child kidnapping in Karnataka's Bidar. The police said the mob frenzy started after the man from Qatar was seen distributing chocolates to local children. The police have arrested 32 people.