Tackling the disinformation threat in India

Context

• The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks Report 2025 underscores misinformation and disinformation as the highest ranked short-term global threat.

• The WEF defines “global risk” as an event that can adversely affect a sizeable portion of the population, the global GDP, and natural resources.

• The rapid rise of AI-generated content, algorithmic biases, and deep societal divides are making it harder than ever to separate facts from deception.

• India, poised to surpass 900 million Internet users, would find itself vulnerable without proper policy implementation to combat disinformation, with its diverse political and social landscape creating fertile ground for manipulated narratives, voter influence, and economic disruption.

• As a rising global power, India has faced persistent Chinese disinformation threats since the 2017 Doklam standoff, prompting the ban of over 300 Chinese apps, including TikTok, to curb foreign interference.

• A study by the Indian School of Business and the CyberPeace Foundation reveals that political disinformation accounts for 46%, followed by general issues (33.6%) and religious content (16.8%).

• Platforms such as Weibo, operating within China, have been actively trying to propagate a distorted image of India. The risks could escalate if Meta ends fact-checking partnerships, as seen in the U.S. The youth dividend of India is facing a growing threat from false information, as a survey report revealed.

• The Global Risks Report 2025 perceives that people in high-income countries are more concerned about disinformation risks in the coming years than those in lower-income nations with some exceptions.

• If Indian citizens fail to recognise how disinformation deepens political and societal divides, the consequences could be severe for the democratic and social fabric.

Global Risks Report 2025

• The Global Risks Report 2025 recommends measures such as upskilling developers working with algorithms, improving public awareness and digital literacy, and ensuring accountability through supervisory boards and AI councils to oversee Generative AI practices.

• Initiatives like Shakti – India Election Fact-Checking Collective, and the Deepfake Analysis Unit, played a role in tackling disinformation during the 2024 general elections.

• With almost 400 million Facebook and over 500 million WhatsApp users, India stands as the largest market for social media platforms.

• Transparent content moderation policies must be implemented to address misleading content that threatens public health, safety, or democracy, with strict enforcement of non discrimination rules. Online ads must disclose funding sources and target audiences to prevent malicious actors from spreading false narratives.