New Delhi, April 1 The government blocked over 1,400 URLs on digital media during Operation Sindoor to counter the spread of fake news, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Responding to a written question, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan also said that the Fact Check Unit (FCU), which functions under the Press Information Bureau, has published a total of 2,913 fact-checks so far.
The FCU identifies fake news and misinformation related to the central government, and after verifying the authenticity of news from authorized sources, the FCU publishes correct information on its social media platforms, he said.
Additionally, Murugan said, the government encourages citizens to report suspicious content for verification, thereby strengthening public participation in combating misinformation.
"The FCU has identified various fake claims related to the Government of India, including deepfakes, AI-generated and misleading videos, notifications, letters and websites," he said.
All fact-checks are available across the PIB Fact Check official social media platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Threads and WhatsApp Channel.
Murugan said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued directions for blocking over 1,400 such URLs on digital media during Operation Sindoor.
The Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year, targeting nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
The minister said during Operation Sindoor, the PIB Fact Check Unit actively identified misinformation and hostile narratives circulating online and promptly acted on fact-checking false claims, providing authentic information, and ensuring accurate public communication, thereby helping prevent the spread of misleading and anti-India narratives.