Amitabh Bachchan, Anand Mahindra face flak over fake news

It may seem Amitabh Bachchan and Anand Mahindra have little in keeping, but their recent activity on Twitter suggests both are victims and proliferators of fake news. As the veteran actor attracted flak when he suggested that sound vibes made by blowing a conch could ward off the COVID-19 contagion, the billionaire industrialist tweeted that face-masks made of leaves can produce the same effect.

Their intention was perhaps to publicise some novel information, but the information itself was far from accurate, and it led to someone starting an online petition to keep them off WhatsApp.

The petition, which includes over 1,300 signatures till date, reads, “A megastar and a renowned industrialist are falling prey to fake news & bizarre content being fed to them via WhatsApp. We must restore the dignity of two gentlemen. Through this petition we are requesting Mark Zuckerberg to disable WhatsApp on the numbers (sic).”

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, fake news has been peddled on social media. From bizarre cures to videos blaming specific communities spreading the virus, fake news is very a pandemic itself.

According to Nirali Bhatia, a cyber-psychologist, the uncertainty of the times we stay in is causing people to search for hope in fake news. “People are desperate to find solutions because their life has come to a standstill. Folks are anxious and panicky. Fake news could possibly be the last straw to clutch at,” she says.

Even though it could be contested that both billionaire gentlemen named above passed along fake news to calm their anxious nerves, it goes without saying that their celebrity status can vastly multiply the damage.

“We certainly are a country that idolises celebrities. They have a social responsibility. If indeed they put something out there on social media, persons will believe them, thinking it must be proven,” Nirali Bhatia says.

 Realising his mistake, Mahindra did delete his tweet. However, according to social media strategist Anoop Mishra, a deleted tweet will not imply that the fake news will minimize spreading.

“Even if you delete it from your own social media account, people may have already retweeted it or they post screenshots of the tweet. The fake news won't get deleted from the followers’ accounts and the spread will continue. So, a celebrity needs to be careful before putting out anything on social media. They must cross-check the reality and figures because they will be in charge of them,” he says.

Despite the fact that social media websites have begun taking cognisance of how their platforms are aiding the spread of misinformation, their content filtering mechanisms aren't quite effective.

“Social media tools basically work on this content filtration format. It isn't a manual process, it works via an AI system, and that system is not as robust as humans. It’s extremely hard for AI to check on whether the content is right or wrong,” says Anoop Mishra. So, the onus of curbing fake news falls on the social media user.

According to Saurabh Shukla, founder and editor-in-chief of News Mobile, a fact-checking website, the Covid-19 pandemic is an excellent time for social media platforms to proactively curb fake news on a war-footing.

Just about the most efficient methods to do so is by collaborating with fact-checking specialists. “Recently, Mark Zuckerberg released figures showing that since Facebook started dealing with third-party fact-checking organisations, almost 90 % of the posts which have been reported false have been stopped. At the same time when people are counting on these social media platforms, it’s the duty of such platforms to remain true to facts,” he concludes.