Disinformation and how technology is playing a role in the Indian elections 

Disinformation wreaks havoc in many societies.  Whether it is stealing election wins away from expectant candidates with stories about pizza-paedophile rings, or pressuring teenage girls into buying detox tea through ‘influencers,’ it plagues many.  As it comes in different forms, it brings varying levels of consequences.

India is no exception, from the yoga retreats in Kerala to rural villages nestled into the Himalayas, disinformation is at large.  With elections looming, disinformation is playing a bigger role in Indian elections than ever before.

As disinformation, false information spread deliberately to deceive, is often propagated with social media and technology, many are looking to technology for solutions.

Elections in India, which are due to take place from April, are considered the world’s largest exercise in democracy with an estimated 875 million people to cast votes.  The BJP’s Narendra Modi, the current Prime Minister, will face stiff competition from the INC’s Rahul Ghandi.  Only a few months ago, Modi looked invincible. But as the elections creeps closer, opinion polls have shown that whilst many still adore Modi, many would be willing to vote against his party.

Whatsapp wildfires

Last summer, Indian authorities scrambled to combat a spate of murders linked to rumours circulating on messaging application WhatsApp.  Around forty people were killed across the country in the last year, after rumours spread on the app about child kidnappers on the loose and a video was circulated that purported to show a boy being snatched.

WhatsApp is India’s most popular social media app with more than 200 million users.  Although it has faced problems with disinformation in other large markets such as Brazil or Indonesia, the consequences in India have arguably been far more violent than elsewhere.

There are several features on WhatsApp that allows it to become a potential tinderbox for disinformation.  Firstly, users can remain anonymous, allowing them impunity. WhatsApp Groups are easy to set up by adding the phone numbers of contacts and are capped only at 256 members.  As everything is encrypted, it is impossible for governments, law enforcement officials or even WhatsApp to view what’s being said.

The WhatsApp murders have caused concern ahead of the 2019 elections. Facebook’s WhatsApp is taking an increasingly central role in elections.  While many messages are ordinary campaign missives, some were intended to inflame religious and societal tensions and others were downright false.  

Right-wing Hindu groups employed WhatsApp to spread an upsetting video that was described as an attack on a Hindu woman by a Muslim mob.  In many states in India, pitting Muslims against Hindus and various Hindu castes against one another has become a staple. This does not only cause violence, but can undoubtedly can sway election results.

Google steps up

Unsurprisingly, it expected that the 2019 elections will rely even more heavily on social media than those in 2014, with video content playing an even more prominent part. The increase in the use of smartphones and the expansion of 4G to rural villages has increased the number of connected users in India.  Consequently, digital technologies and tools have become a key communication tool for political parties.

Facebook has recently committed to transparency in political advertisements, whilst expanding its fact-checking network in India.  Alongside reviewing articles, it has also equipped checkers with tools to review photos and videos to “help identify and take action against more types of misinformation.”

This is a reactive measure.  To prevent the widespread use of disinformation, there needs to be preventative measures.

With the national elections just weeks away, Google announced plans to train journalists in online verification and fact-checking, digital safety and security, YouTube for elections coverage and data visualization for elections.

Google News Initiative, in partnership with independent, third-party organisations DataLeads and Internews would host training sessions in 30 cities between now and the 6th April 2019 in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Bangla, Kannada, Gujarati, Odia, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi, the company said in a statement.

Consider the 2016 US Presidential election and British EU Referendum results, it is important to not downplay the role of disinformation in elections, especially when motives are not immediately clear.  

Healthy democracies need elections that are equally healthy, not afflicted by disinformation.  Whilst taking down content that is made to incite confusion and even violence is important, it is more important to ensure that journalists and citizens are able to identify false stories and think critically.