Sydney: Following the deadly attack at Bondi Beach, misleading claims linking Pakistan to the incident have emerged online. Israeli, Indian, and Afghan social media accounts and media outlets tried to associate the attackers with Pakistan. The Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post labeled the attackers as Pakistani, while accounts linked to India’s RAW intelligence also spread anti-Pakistan […]
Misinformation
AI chatbot Grok spreads false claims about Bondi Beach hero
Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI and promoted on the social media platform X, has reportedly spread misinformation regarding the recent Bondi Beach shooting in Australia. The incident, in which 15 people were killed and dozens injured, also saw Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old local, hailed as a hero for disarming one […]
Fake news spreads after Sydney Bondi Beach attack, man misidentified as shooter
SYDNEY: Following the deadly attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, a misinformation campaign has emerged online, falsely linking an innocent man to the incident. Australian authorities confirmed that two gunmen shot and killed 11 people at a Hanukkah gathering, while dozens more were injured. However, Israeli, Indian, and Afghan media outlets circulated the photograph of Sheikh […]
Journalist placed on four-day remand in cybercrime case
LAHORE – A judicial magistrate on Friday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) a four-day physical remand of Islamabad-based digital media journalist Sohrab Barkat in a case of spreading misinformation about state institutions. Read More: Lahore court grants three-day physical remand in NCCA bribery case The NCCIA produced the journalist before the magistrate at […]
AI flood photo sparks Thai police apology
Thai border police apologised after publishing an AI-modified image showing flood rescuers in combat gear. The altered photo depicted officers with automatic weapons in southern Thailand’s Hat Yai district. Authorities confirmed that the original image showed unarmed personnel wearing life vests. The manipulated post caused widespread criticism online, with some netizens condemning the fake image […]
DG ISPR warns against rumors on Faiz Hamid court martial
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani military spokesperson Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has called for restraint regarding speculation on former DG ISI Faiz Hamid’s court martial. He emphasized that the proceedings are part of a legal process and any decision will be communicated publicly once finalized. The DG warned against social media narratives spreading misinformation. He said speculation over […]
Deepfake crisis grows as AI manipulation floods Pakistan’s social media
Pakistan’s social media landscape is experiencing a disturbing shift as a flood of AI-generated deepfakes blurs the boundary between truth and fabrication. In recent weeks, journalists, public figures and institutions have found themselves targeted by manipulated videos designed to destroy reputations, stoke outrage and exploit political tensions. The trend highlights a new phase in digital […]
Tarar urges unified D-8 media strategy to counter misinformation
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Friday underscored the urgent need for collective action against misinformation, highlighting the transformation of the global information landscape from print to electronic and now digital media. Addressing the D-8 Media Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, he stressed that Pakistan’s youthful demographic was driving change and emphasized cooperation among […]
AI chatbots fail to tell belief from fact
Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT are struggling to differentiate between belief and fact, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University, raising concerns over their reliability in high-stakes fields like law, medicine, and journalism. The study found that all major AI chatbots — including ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, and Gemini — failed to […]
Pakistan rejects Indian media’s false claims about sending troops to Gaza
ISLAMABAD – The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Friday strongly rejected a false report aired by an Indian television channel claiming that Pakistan plans to send 20,000 troops to Gaza under Western and Israeli supervision. In a statement, the ministry described the claims by India’s Republic TV as “baseless propaganda” and part of a […]