By Mohd Fahad The writer is Editor (National Desk) at First India When a convincingly realistic video surfaced, appearing to show senior parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor making controversial political remarks, it spread across social media with familiar speed. Within hours, reactions hardened, outrage circulated, and partisan commentary followed. Only later did clarification arrive: the video was […]
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(Dr. Shujaat Ali Quadri) The information environment surrounding the Manipur crisis has been aggressively weaponized. What began as a deeply rooted ethnic conflict has evolved into a high-velocity digital battleground shaped by competing narratives and coordinated amplification. A surge of newly created social media accounts, a relatively small but highly amplified cluster of foreign-based handles, […]
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In the volatile world of India-Pakistan relations, a new battleground is emerging: the digital realm. Amid recent flare-ups, reports indicate that elements within Pakistan’s security, intelligence and media ecosystems are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI), bot networks and manipulated video content to shape narratives against India raising serious concerns about information warfare, regional stability and media integrity. […]
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The Pro-Khalistan movement has established a significant operational presence in Social Media. This analytical report explores the role of algorithm driven social media platforms namely TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube in the propagation and popularization of the Khalistan narrative. These platforms, with their unique content recommendation systems and virality mechanics, have become powerful tools for ideologically driven campaigns. The report […]
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In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a double-edged sword. While it holds the potential to revolutionise sectors from healthcare to governance, it is also increasingly being misused for disinformation and propaganda. Nowhere is this more evident than in the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools by some Pakistani […]
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For ages, information has been considered the key to success in any operation or war by great military generals and strategists. The information has resulted in the fall or rise of many empires. The application of this information into the theatre of war is known as Information Warfare (IW) which has increasingly become a keyword […]
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As digital media continues to shape public opinion, distinguishing truth from disinformation is becoming ever more crucial—especially on platforms favored by today’s youth. This issue took center stage during a webinar titled “How to Investigate Disinformation Campaigns on Telegram,” hosted by the Digital Forensics Research and Analytics Center (DFRAC) in collaboration with the Media Innovation […]
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The saying “pics or it didn’t happen” used to be a foolproof way to demand evidence for outrageous online stories. However, with the rise of AI image generators, discerning truth from fiction has become a much trickier proposition. These AI tools leverage machine learning and natural language processing to analyze our online behavior, including likes, […]
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In a complex society like South Asia, which is characterized by cultural commonalities and political flashpoints at the same time, disinformation campaigns are increasingly influencing the region. Over the last decade, new regional initiatives and transit corridors are easing travel between India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia but these efforts could be threatened if India’s neighbourhood […]
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In May 2023, the state of Manipur was up in flames after communal clashes broke out between the Meitis and the Kukis. As of December 2023, over 175 people had died in the rioting and 70,000 people were displaced according to official reports. Collectively, the state’s ethno-cultural diversity, the politics of welfarism and the state’s […]
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