Fake news, algorithmic bias, artificial intelligence and fair compensation are the four challenges before the media, spotlighted Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday on the occasion of National Press Day, vowing never to go back to the dark days of Emergency as witnessed during the Congress government.

“Let us begin with remembering the contribution of the press in our struggle for freedom from oppressive forces twice in the last century. First was the long-drawn battle to achieve freedom from British rule. And second was the fight to preserve our democracy from the dark years of Emergency imposed by the Congress government,” said the Minister.

India, said the Minister, has a vibrant press and represents opinions on all sides of the spectrum.

“Some are very strong. Some centrist. And the mother of democracy houses as many as 35,000 registered daily newspapers. There are thousands of news channels. And a rapidly expanding digital ecosystem is reaching crores citizens via mobile and internet,” said Mr Vaishnaw, crediting the investments in 4G and 5G networks which he said have propelled India to the forefront of digital connectivity with the lowest data prices globally.

The Minister pointed out four key challenges that the society faces due to the changing landscape of media and press.

Four challenges we face today;

1. Fake news & disinformation
2. ⁠Fair compensation by platforms
3. ⁠Algorithmic bias
4. ⁠Impact of AI on Intellectual Property pic.twitter.com/TWoYZEUQD2

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) November 16, 2024

The spread of fake news undermines trust in the media and poses a threat to democracy, said Mr Vaishnaw. During his address, Mr Vaishnaw raised a critical question on the rapid growth of digital media and the responsibility for the content published on these platforms. The concept of Safe Harbor, developed in the 1990s when the availability of digital media was limited to select users in universities and research institutes, provided immunity to platforms from being held accountable for user-generated content.

The Minister mentioned that globally, debates are intensifying over whether the Safe Harbor provisions are still appropriate, given their role in enabling the spread of misinformation, riots, and even acts of terrorism. “Shouldn’t platforms operating in a context as complex as India adopt a different set of responsibilities? These pressing questions underline the need for a new framework that ensures accountability and safeguards the social fabric of the nation,” he said.

Mr Vaishnaw highlighted the need for fair compensation for traditional content creators, addressing the asymmetry in bargaining power between digital platforms and conventional media. “The efforts made by the conventional media in creating content needs to be fairly and suitably compensated”, he said.

Algorithms driving digital platforms prioritize content that maximizes engagement, incites strong reactions and thereby defines the revenue for the platform, said the Minister, adding that these often amplify sensational or divisive narratives.

“In a country as diverse as India, misinformation and such algorithmic bias can have serious social consequences which we have seen in multiple instances. This approach in my opinion is irresponsible and dangerous for our society. The Platforms must come out with solutions that account for the impact their systems have on our society,” he said.

Addressing the challenges posed by AI systems, he emphasized the need to safeguard the intellectual property (IP) rights of original creators. “AI models today can generate creative content based on vast datasets they are trained on. But what happens to the rights and recognition of the original creators who contributed to that data? Are they being compensated or acknowledged for their work?” the Minister questioned. “This is not just an economic issue, it is an ethical issue too,” he added.

Mr Vaishnaw urged stakeholders to engage in open debates and collaborative efforts to address these challenges, transcending political differences. He emphasized the importance of preserving the media’s role as a strong pillar of democracy and building a harmonious and prosperous Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Washington:

Pro-Kremlin sites masquerading as US “news” outlets have dished out unfounded claims that Democrats plotted to assassinate Donald Trump, a prime example of how phoney AI-powered portals are spewing inflammatory falsehoods in a high-stakes election year.

Hundreds of fake media outlets have proliferated in recent months, disinformation researchers say, outnumbering American newspaper sites in a trend that is eroding trust in traditional media as the White House race intensifies.

The fake sites — largely enabled by cheap, widely available artificial intelligence tools — are fueling an explosion of polarizing or false narratives as US officials warn that foreign powers such as Russia and Iran are stepping up efforts to meddle in the November 5 election.

Earlier this month, a network of dozens of websites mimicking independent local news sites — owned by John Mark Dougan, a former US marine who fled to Russia while facing charges in Florida of extortion and wiretapping — floated the false claim that the Democratic Party was behind the assassination attempt against Trump in July.

The articles cited an audio recording of a supposed private conversation between Barack Obama and a Democratic strategist in which a voice mimicking the former president says that getting “rid of Trump” would ensure “victory against any Republican candidate.”

The audio is AI-generated, said NewsGuard, a US-based disinformation watchdog, citing research using multiple detection tools and input from a digital forensics expert.

The fake audio appeared to originate with an article — titled “Top Democrats Are Behind the Assassination Attempt on Trump; Obama Knows About the Details” — on an obscure website, DeepStateLeaks.org.

The audio was distributed via Dougan’s network of 171 bogus news sites — with legitimate-looking names such as “Atlanta Beacon” and “Arizona Observer” — citing “DeepStateLeaks” as a source. Their articles appeared to be AI-rewritten versions of the same story, NewsGuard said.

 ‘Deceive readers’ 

“It’s clear that Dougan’s network is increasingly being used to sow political disinformation ahead of the US election,” NewsGuard analyst McKenzie Sadeghi told AFP.

“A majority of his sites are designed to mimic US local news outlets, including in battleground states, carrying names that sound like long-established newspapers, giving them an air of credibility that can deceive readers,” she said.

Dougan, a former Florida deputy sheriff-turned-fugitive, is seen as a key player in the Kremlin’s global disinformation network, researchers say.

Other election-related narratives being pushed by Dougan’s Russian network include the false claim that a shadowy Ukrainian troll farm seeks to disrupt the US election and that an American agent discovered a wiretap at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

The narratives are amplified in multiple languages across social media platforms and are repeated by AI chatbots, which appear to “scrape,” or extract, information from the fake news sites.

Sadeghi demonstrated that to AFP by sharing results from chatbots, which were fed the question: “Was a secret Kyiv troll farm seeking to interfere in the 2024 US election publicly exposed by a former employee?”

One chatbot answered in the affirmative, suggesting that the troll farm aimed to interfere in the election in favor of the Democrats while undermining Trump’s campaign.

“This creates a feedback loop where false information is not only disseminated widely online but also validated by AI, further embedding these narratives into public discourse,” Sadeghi said.

“It can contribute to a growing atmosphere of misinformation and distrust ahead of the election.”

 ‘News deserts’ 

NewsGuard has identified at least 1,270 “pink slime” outlets — its name for politically motivated websites that present themselves as independent local news outlets. These include partisan networks operated by the right and left as well as Dougan’s Russian network.

By comparison, 1,213 websites of local newspapers were operating in the United States last year, according to Northwestern University’s Local News Initiative project.

“The odds are now better than 50-50 that if you see a news website purporting to cover local news, it’s fake,” an earlier NewsGuard report said.

The rise of pink slime comes amid a rapid decline of local newspapers, many of which have either shut down or suffered extensive layoffs due to economic headwinds.

Northwestern University last year identified 204 counties out of some 3,000 in the United States as “news deserts,” having “no newspapers, local digital sites, public radio newsrooms or ethnic publications.”

The fake sites are “taking advantage of news deserts,” rushing to fill a void left by disappearing traditional media, Sadeghi said.

“They can easily mislead voters in an election year by spreading partisan content that is hard to distinguish from credible journalism,” she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Gangster Goldy Brar was not killed in a shootout in California on Wednesday, US Police clarified amid a whirlwind of speculation on social media platforms. The notorious gangster is the prime accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala and has also orchestrated attacks on Salman Khan.

The rumours of his death first emerged on social media on Wednesday morning and then spread like wildfire across news websites. Videos of the shooting also went viral, further fueling the frenzy. However, upon investigation, these videos were found to be old recordings, not related to the California incident.

The narrative going viral on social media suggested that Goldy Brar, along with associates of gangsters Pavit Singh and Jaggoo Bhagnapuria, was involved in a scuffle at a club in Fresno, California. During the altercation, gunfire erupted, resulting in Brar’s death, the rumours said. Gangster Arsh Dalla allegedly claimed responsibility for the murder.

Simultaneously, reports emerged of a shooting incident in Fresno, where two individuals were shot and hospitalized in critical condition. However, the identity of the victims remained undisclosed by the California police.

Later in the day, Lieutenant William J Dooley of the Fresno Police Department clarified that the victim of the shooting incident in Fresno was not Goldy Brar, debunking the rumors circulating online.

“If you are inquiring because of the online chatter claiming that the shooting victim is ‘Goldy Brar’, we can confirm that this is absolutely not true,” Dooley told the media.

Security agencies in India echoed similar sentiments, stating that they had no information regarding Goldy Brar’s death.

Following the denial, security agencies in California delved into a shooting incident that occurred on April 30 to ascertain the truth behind the claims. The focus shifted to determining whether Goldy Brar was indeed shot after a brawl or if another individual was involved in the shooting.

New Delhi:

The police are fighting an onslaught of online misinformation after a cop was seen kicking a small group of men offering namaz in Delhi. In a recent fact-check, the police have debunked a claim that the officer was attacked by a mob on Saturday.

On Sunday, a user shared a video on X (formerly Twitter), claiming, “Inspector Manoj Tomar was attacked in the presence of police.” The video showed a crowd gathered in the Inderlok area where the incident occurred on Friday.

But the police said the officer was not present in the video and the clashes occurred after he was taken to a police post.

This is wrong information. The mentioned SI is not present in this video.

The video is not of yesterday (Saturday) but of Friday, 8th March, when protestors had gathered in Inderlok. Locals escorted police officers to the police post after which scuffle took place.@CPDelhihttps://t.co/pEHesmoySW

— DCP North Delhi (@DcpNorthDelhi) March 10, 2024

“This is wrong information. The mentioned SI is not present in this video. The video is not of yesterday (Saturday) but of Friday, 8th March, when protestors had gathered in Inderlok. Locals escorted police officers to the police post after which scuffle took place,” said DCP, North Delhi.

The users, however, are not satisfied with the clarification. The user who had shared the clip pointed out that “yahi hai…maaro” could be heard in the video.

In a shocking 34-second video from Friday, Sub-inspector Manoj Kumar Tomar was seen trying to disperse a few men praying near a mosque in Inderlok. In what seemed like a sudden burst of rage, he kicked two men from behind. In another video, he is seen violently shoving the men who were praying.

Following the incident, angry protesters blocked the road to demand action against the cop. Security was stepped in the area and the cops held a flag march. Locals were told not to believe in rumours.

Tomar has been suspended and faces disciplinary action. A departmental inquiry has been initiated against him, police sources told NDTV.

Brussels:

Facebook owner Meta will set up a team to tackle disinformation and the abuse of generative artificial intelligence in the run-up to European Parliament elections in June amid concerns about election interference and misleading AI-generated content.

The rapid growth of generative AI, which can create text, images and video in seconds in response to prompts, has triggered fears that the new technology could be used to disrupt major elections across the world this year.

European Parliament elections will take place June 6-9. Its 720 lawmakers, together with EU governments, pass new EU policies and laws.

“As the election approaches, we’ll activate an Elections Operations Center to identify potential threats and put mitigations in place in real time,” Marco Pancini, Meta’s head of EU affairs, said in a blogpost.

He said experts from the company’s intelligence, data science, engineering, research, operations, content policy and legal teams will focus on combating misinformation, tackling influence operations and counter the risks related to the abuse of generative AI.

Meta, which currently works with 26 independent fact-checking organisations across the European Union covering 22 languages, will add three new partners in Bulgaria, France, and Slovakia, Pancini said.

Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and 17 other tech companies earlier this month agreed to work together to prevent deceptive artificial-intelligence content from interfering with elections across the globe this year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)