Crackdown on WhatsApp news

The Yogi Adityanath government is worried about the emerging threat from ‘WhatsApp news agencies’ mushrooming all over the state and posing a serious threat to genuine news.

These WhatsApp news groups are putting out unverified news every now and then and in an attempt to outdo the rivals, TV channels pick them up without verifying the same.

The most recent example was that of the fake news related to abolition of reservation in private medical and dental colleges by the Yogi government. The news “came” from one such WhatsApp group and was instantly picked up by a news channel. Within an hour, the news went viral and TV channels even started debating on the subject.

“It took us almost four hours to realise that this was a fake news, apparently planted to malign the government and finally a denial was issued but the damage had already been done”, said a senior police official.

Another instance was that the Yogi government planning to train child labourers and make them ‘employment ready’. Child labour is banned and it was absurd to suggest that the government would train them.

The Yogi Adityanath government is worried about the emerging threat from ‘WhatsApp news agencies’ mushrooming all over the state and posing a serious threat to genuine news.

WhatsApp ‘agencies’ have also been announcing transfers and termination of officials even when none gas taken place. Reports of minor clashes are turned into ‘riots’ by these groups. At least two groups announced the demise of a yesteryear actor after which hundreds of people offered their condolences on the messenger service.

“These groups create confusion because most of their news instantly becomes ‘breaking news’ on channels. The problem is that there are no rules to regulate the messenger service and its content,” a police officer said.