Coronavirus-hit Kerala unveils anti fake news division to keep rumour-mongers at bay

The Government of Kerala is not only stepping up efforts to keep people inside their homes by using technology but also fighting against fake news creators during coronavirus pandemic.

To keep fake news peddlers at bay, the Kerala government has launched anti fake news division to prevent spread of misinformation on coronavirus in the state.

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic started spreading its tentacles in the state, social media platforms were flooded with fake news and lies which most of the times are considered as unquestionably true.

The objective of the anti fake news division is to bust fake news, share authentic government information, create educational content that encourages people to be more alert and sensitive to misinformation.

When asked about how big the problem of fake news is, Coordinator of anti fake news division, Kerala, Mir Mohammed Ali, who also happens to be the Executive Director of Suchitva Mission, Local Self Government Department, Kerala government, says that it is indeed a concern in the times of Covid-19 pandemic, since there is a huge information vacuum around so many subjects – health, education, transportation, lockdown. So many fakers step in to share misinformation and increase their following.

Ali states that the division was launched in the aftermath of a rumour that Kerala is shutting its borders with Tamil Nadu and Hon’ble CM Pinarayi Vijayan had himself clarified that no such decision has been taken and the next day he instructed to unveil this division to keep an eye on the spread of fake news. He mentions that currently the team is not that big but more technical staff is being entrusted with the job.

“We have a WhatsApp number where one can send any complaint to check up whether a particular news is true or false. As an instance, there was a news that a particular person was tested positive with coronavirus and we were requested to confirm this as it was worrying the locals. We called up district level health officials to confirm this,” he says.

He points out that a lot people are reaching out to the anti fake news division to confirm reports circulating on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and even in WhatsApp groups.

Ali clarifies that the division has not had communal complaints and the complaints are more of corona related medical advices being given by random people.

Notably, depending on the gravity of the fake news complaints, the division forwards complaints to Kerala Police to caution people and take stern action against repeated offenders.