Image, two videos shared by PTI declared fake
Pakistan
PTI shared image and two videos on May 9 mayhem declared fake
(Web Desk) - After the May 9 mayhem on the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, there are alleged floods of misinformation on social media by the party supporters.
In the wake of riots in Pakistan, an image and two videos were continuously shared to show the situation unfolding amid the chaos and the government crackdown on the political protesters.
Misinformation and social media frenzy spread like wildfire after violent protests erupted across cities in Pakistan following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. During the riots and vandalism, an AI-generated image and two videos were widely circulated to depict the ongoing chaos and the government's crackdown on political protesters.
One of the videos showed droves of people confronting the police, while the other depicted a crowd carrying coffins, claiming that those were the bodies of PTI protesters killed during the countrywide demonstrations. However, the French news channel France 24 confirmed that the AI image and videos were not real nor from Pakistan.
In Truth or Fake news segment, journalist Vedika Bahl probed the origins of the images and videos and found several obvious giveaways that they were fake. One of the more striking giveaways was the appearance of a woman in the AI-generated image confronting the police tackling rioters.
Despite the widespread misinformation propagated by workers and supporters of the Khan-led party, France 24's confirmation details shed light on the importance of fact-checking and being mindful of the credibility of images and videos being shared online during such events.
