CORONAVIRUS

A pandemic is a ripe situation for misinformation and disinformation. From coronavirus remedies to falsely attributed videos, some conspiracy theories have spun around Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, the second richest man in the world. One that has been making rounds now is that Gates is scheming to use the outbreak to develop a vaccine that can depopulate the world with ...

A message has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that workers between the years 1990 and 2020 are liable to receive Rs.120,000 from India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment body. There is also a link that is attached with the forward for users to check if their name is on the list. It was widely circulated on social media ever ...

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, unease has circulated on social media platforms whether handling cash and coins could aid in the transmission of the virus. As the virus can stay on notes for more than 9 days, it has led to concern among people and traders who deal in cash. Here are some concerns making rounds on social media: Fact ...

A screenshot of a TV9 broadcast has gone viral. The screenshot is in Marathi and reads — “Corona virus found in gutkha samples in Maharashtra.” Besides the TV9 logo, the blurb reads- “Raw material for maing gutkha is sourced from China.”  The text below the Breaking News reads: “The Government has issued an order asking the citizens to refrain from ...

By Snigdha Nalini & Vanisha Jagwani A message on WhatsApp is doing rounds stating that the government plans to ease down the lockdown restrictions imposed in the country in five stages. The viral message claims that “these phases will be on a 3 week review process, the current phases would commence on the following dates: Another message speaks at length ...

A viral video has taken the Internet by storm. The video titled “PLANDEMIC” is making rounds on all social media platforms. Directed by Mikki Willis and featuring Dr. Judy Mikovits, the 26-minute long video can still be found on Facebook because it has garnered the attention of various pages and groups. ALERT: Schiff spied on @RealDonaldTrump‘s lawyer (@RudyGiuliani) with secret ...

The Indian government ordered that liquor shops will be opened from May 3, 2020 only in green zones for serving five customers at a time. After this directive, the nation saw huge lines of people outside liquor stores waiting for their turn to buy alcohol, despite a steep hike in percentage of new tax on alcohol. In this context, Digiteye ...

Unlike many virus cures and home remedies, here’s an oft-repeated claim on social media, opposing 5G mobile phone networks and attributing the spread of coronavirus to 5G towers, which are increasingly becoming the target of attacks in Britain and Canada now. Fifth-generation wireless technology or 5G, is the latest cellular technology that builds on previous generations like 4G and 3G ...

Amid massive misinformation about the Coronavirus pandemic, here is one claim that is attributed to a representative of the World health Organization.  The post (below) has two images — the one on left says, “As long as people eat meat, there is going to be some risk of infection.” It has been attributed to Dr. Gauden Galea, W.H.O. Representative. The ...

With the lockdown in the country, print media found itself in a crisis. Physical distribution of newspapers was affected because most societies stopped taking deliveries or the newspaper distributors refused to distribute them because people wouldn’t let them in fearing infection, forcing some newspapers to stop  printing physical copies of newspapers amid fears of coronavirus. Digiteye India received a copy ...