ISLAMABAD – According to a report by Microsoft’s Digital Civility Index,Indians are more prone to fake news than anywhere else in the world.
The global average for encountering fake news is 57%, while India leadswith 64%, a number which is justified in the wake of upcoming elections andthe whole air strike saga.
The spread of fake news is common across the world and with the recent waveof nationalism, the citizens care less worried about the facts and areinstead trying to prove their loyalty to their country.
54% of Indians surveyed encountered internet hoaxes as compared to theglobal average of 50%, having murderous consequences.
Both Facebook and WhatsApp have been trying to curb the spread of fake newswith new features. Recently Facebook reportedly blocked 6 million fakeaccounts involved in spreading bogus news while WhatsApp hasenforced message forwarding limits.
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The global average for ‘risks’ from friends and family in onlineinteractions stands at 28% whereas, in India, the interactions are at 29%.
With India’s elections scheduled this year, around 800 million people willhave the right to vote – that’s the highest number of voters in the world.This has led platforms like WhatsApp to use Artificial Intelligence toidentify accounts spreading ‘problematic content’.
*Via Standardlink*
