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TLI Fact Check Recap: Global Misinformation Which Attracted Indian Audience In 2022
India, 5 Jan 2023 10:12 AM GMT
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The Logical Indian launched its Fact Check initiative in an effort to inspect the rapid and unchecked spread of information across social media. From fake news around the Russia-Ukraine war to misleading claims about the FIFA world cup. Here is how we debunked Global misinformation, which attracted Indian Audience in 2022.
- In 2022, several global events, starting with Russia's invasion of Ukrauary, led to a spate of misinformation across social media.
The Logical Indian's Fact Check Team monitored social media platforms for misleading claims throughout the year and conducted several Fact Checks highlighting misinformation. Our team noticed misleading and false information spreading on global issues ranging from the Russia-Ukraine conflict to the protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini. Other notable instances were the India-China border clashes and the FIFA World Cup, both of which occurred in December 2022.
1. Facts Behind China's Artificial Sun Project
A 30-second video of a glowing orb rising in the sky above the sea went viral on social media in January, claiming that the video is of China launching its artificial sun.
We found that China did launch the artificial sun project of Rocket Launch at the Wenchang Spacecraft launch site in China. If the launch had been open, it would have been a disaster as its temperature went up to 70 million degrees during the experiment. Though The Logical Indian was unable to find the origin of the viral video, we found that the claims shared with the viral video were false. The viral video was of a rocket launch and did not show China's recent launch of an 'artificial sun.'
2. Russia-Ukraine War:
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, a spate of misinformation about the conflict broke out across social media.
Some pictures were doing rounds on social media, claiming ISKCON temple was doing relief work during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In the viral pictures, people stood in the queue while the volunteers served food.
Through our investigation, we found that it was true that ISKCON temples across Ukraine provide humanitarian aid, but the viral images were not recent and dated back to 2009 and 2015.
In March, a graphic was shared on social media claiming that Russia asked Indian citizens in Ukraine to put up the Indian national flag on their vehicles for their safe passage, with a picture of Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in the viral graphic.
Our investigation showed the Russian government had issued no such advisory. It was Indian Embassy in Ukraine that advised Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine to put up the tricolor on their vehicles for safe passage.
Amid the Ukraine-Russia war, IAF airlifted 2263 passengers from airfields in Poland, Romania, and Slovakia under Operation Ganga. Amidst the evacuation, a claim became viral on social media claiming that Russia had agreed to a ceasefire and gave six hours window for Indian officials to evacuate the stranded Indians from Kharkiv safely.
The MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi released a statement denying the viral claim that Russia stopped the war for six hours to allow the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine is false.
3. A Hindu Minority Leader In Bangladesh Was Not Assaulted For Not Attending Iftar Party
A photo showing a severely assaulted man had gone viral across social media with the claim that it was Jitendra Kanti Guha, a Hindu leader in Chittagong, Bangladesh, who was attacked by a local Awami League leader Mohammed Jasim after Guha refused to participate in an 'Iftar party.'
Our investigation showed that Jitendra Kanti Guha was not attacked for refusing to attend an Iftar party in Chittagong, Bangladesh but as per media reports and his nephew's statement, a rival political leader, Mohammed Jasim, orchestrated the attack on Guha due to personal and political enmity.
4. Australian PM Anthony Albanese Did Not Take Oath Wearing Saffron Scarves:
As the new Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, was sworn in as the country's 31st Prime Minister on May 23, 2022, an image went viral showing him wearing saffron scarves, with the claim that he had worn it at his swearing-in ceremony.
Our investigation showed that the viral image of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wearing saffron scarves was not from his swearing-in ceremony but from a Hindu Council of Australia function.
5. Image Does Not Show Qatari Anchor Commenting on Religious Freedom in India
Amidst the outrage shown by countries like Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia over the derogatory remark on Prophet Mohammed by the former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma in June, an image of a burqa-clad anchor was shared with a sarcastic caption, "Qatari Anchor Fatima Shaikh on national TV expressing concern about religious freedom in India."
The TLI Fact Check showed that the image doesn't show a Qatari female TV anchor, but Afghanistan-based TOLOnews TV anchor Khatereh Ahmadi who was bowing her head due to the breathing restrictions caused due to a directive for female anchors to cover their faces while on TV.
6. Boris Johnson Was Not Interrogated By British Police Following His Resignation
On July 7, following Boris Johnson's impending resignation as the UK's Prime Minister, a video went viral across social media showing his alleged interrogation. The video, which showed Johnson talking about corruption in the UK, was shared by netizens with interrogation claims.
We found that the video was actually a clipped version of a spoof video produced by a political group, Led By Donkeys. The spoof video contained edited footage from the British TV show Line of Duty and videos of Boris Johnson.
7. Iran Protests:
Civil unrest and protests against the government of Iran broke out on September 16 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Iran's Guidance Patrol had arrested Amini for allegedly violating the mandatory hijab law for wearing her hijab "improperly," and later she died in police custody.
A video of a young woman protesting topless against the hijab policy went viral with the claim that the women protesting against the hijab policy had taken to protesting topless.
We found that the video was shot in Amsterdam and showed a woman rights activist, Niloufer Fouladi, who was protesting against the hijab policy in Iran through the means of a topless protest.
Several posts went viral on social media claiming that Iran sentenced 15,000 anti-hijab protestors to death.
It became evident from TLI's investigation that the viral claim of the Iranian government sentencing death penalties to 15000 anti-hijab protestors was false.
As the protests against the Iranian regime over the hijab policy of the government continue, several global media outlets reported that the government had abolished the Iranian morality police.
However, in our investigation, we found that the comments made by one official, the attorney general of Iran, Mohamed Jafar Montazeri, were taken out of context to portray them as if the Iranian government had abolished its military police. The Iranian media and activists say the Morality Police hasn't been banned, and it continues to enforce the law. Till now, there has been no official confirmation from Iran's government on abolishing the morality police.
8. India-China Border Clash:
The Indian Army informed that there had been a clash in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9, where at least six Indian troops were injured. In a statement to the Lok Sabha on December 13, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that the Indian Army prevented the Chinese PLA from encroaching on Indian territory.
Several videos showing Indian and Chinese forces clashing were shared as videos from the recent December clash between the forces.
The TLI Fact Check Team found that almost all the videos circulated with claim that they showed the recent LAC clash between Indian and Chinese forces were from previous clashes between the two armies.
Following the clash between Chinese and Indian forces in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, a set of images showing two different groups of soldiers entering into a confrontation went viral across social media.
The TLI Fact Check Team found that the photos showed visuals from a confrontation between the two forces from the Galwan clashes of 2020 and a joint exercise from 2015.
9. FIFA World Cup:
Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup 2022, and several netizens criticised the country for promoting Islam and for the bad working conditions of labourers. Social media was rife with misinformation regarding the global soccer competition.
A video of people embracing Islam went viral on social media, where people on social media claimed that many people converted to Islam during the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022.
The TLI's Fact Check investigation showed that the viral claim of people adopting Islam during the Qatar FIFA world cup was misleading. The viral video has been available on the internet since 2018, when an Islamic scholar converted people from the Philipines to Islam.
A video of a Quran recitation went viral, showing children wearing Arabian attire and reciting verses of the Quran inside a stadium with the claim that it was from the FIFA world cup.
TLI's investigation showed that the viral video was from October 2021 during the inauguration ceremony of the Al Thumama stadium in Qatar, where children were seen reciting verses on 'mercy' from the Quran. The recitation video had nothing to do with the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343. Also Read: TLI Fact Check 2022 Recap: Notable Instances Of Political Misinformation
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