[ad_1]
WhatsApp has been pulled up by the Indian government over a spate of killings across the country sparked by rumors spread on the world's largest messaging
On July 03, India's Information Technology Ministry said that a large number of "irresponsible and explosive messages filled with rumors and provocation "are being circulated on the Facebook-owned social media platform, leading to the lynching of innocent people in states like Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tripura, and West Bengal.
" Deep disapproval of Such statements have been made to the senior management of the WhatsApp and they have been advised that they should be taken, "a statement from the ministry said. "
India has witnessed a series of mob-lynching incidents over the last couple of years. In recent weeks, they took a turn for the worse. Since May, at least 16 cases of lynching have been reported. Many of these killings were sparked by paranoia over child kidnappers, fueled by rumors spread on social media. Other reasons include provocative messages circulated online.
"It has been noticed that SMS, WhatsApp and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are being widely used for transmission of fake images and videos as well as text messages which have potential to incite violence in the state at a larger rate, "AK Shukla, the Tripura state police chief, told India Today.
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in India today, with over 200 million active users.
However, given its wide reach, the app has been used extensively over the years to spread fake news.
WhatsApp, meanwhile, has started taking evasive action. On July 03, 2009: "Through this new project, we look forward to working with leading academic experts in India to learn more about how online platforms are. used to spread misinformation, "a company statement said. "
The WhatsApp Research Awards will fund independent research proposals to understand safety problems and to see what we are doing. the company can do about them.
Source link
