Internet’s misleading role

• The India-Pakistan crisis led to widespread misinformation on social media, including unverified videos, manipulated images, and false reports of casualties.

• A survey by Lokniti-CSDS revealed that misinformation on social media significantly affects public perception, trust, and behavior.

• Nearly half of all active Internet and social media users reported encountering false information online at some point.

• Around two-fifths of active Internet and social media users admitted to sharing/forwarded misinformation and realizing it was inaccurate or fake.

• 21% of active Internet users and 20% of social media users were ‘highly concerned’ about encountering fake news, while 31% of active Internet users and 32% of social media users were’somewhat concerned’.

• 88% of social media users who had unknowingly shared fake news expressed high or moderate concern about receiving it.

• A substantial share of users on social media platforms reported very little or no trust in the news and information they encounter.

• The Reuters Institute’s 2024 Digital News Report reveals a significant shift in how Indians access news, with over 70% preferring online media and nearly half relying on social media platforms.