The 12 months 2020 noticed a rise of 214 per cent in reported situations of circulation of faux information or rumours from the previous 12 months, rising from 486 situations in 2019 to 1527 in 2020, as per the newest report by the National Crime Records Bureau.

These are situations of faux information and hearsay circulation, which were reported to the police.

This marks the steepest enhance in reported situations of circulation of faux information, for the reason that NCRB began gathering such information in 2018. In the 2018 report, solely 280 such situations of circulation of faux information was reported.

NCRB’s information on faux information circulation highlights the rising prevalence of false rumours and pretend information following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the following lockdowns, which led to many individuals vastly enhance their web consumption in India, and overseas. This finally led the World Health Organisation to declare an ‘infodemic’ of misinformation, particularly across the virus, throughout the globe.

One of our past studies had additionally revealed how misinformation, particularly round COVID-19, boomed with rising instances in India in March, and reached its peak in April after communal claims turned viral following the aftermath of an occasion organised by Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat.

Also Read: Fake News In The Time Of Coronavirus: A BOOM Study

State-Wise Breakdown

The state with the best reported situations of faux information circulation was Telangana, with 273 such instances, adopted by Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, with 188 and 166 instances, respectively.

Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh every reported just one occasion of faux information circulation, lowest among the many states.

The report additionally confirmed that almost each Union Territory had zero instances of circulation of faux information, apart from Delhi (30 situations) and Jammu & Kashmir (21 situations).