The challenge that is disinformation has become somewhat of a global epidemic. This problem has manifested itself in some countries more than others, with India, seeing this problem with alarming frequency. The country has even been dubbed the “disinformation nation”, seeing this problem arise in both social and conventional media outlets. False information, misleading news, and outright fabrications are not a problem that remain online alone. These have real life implications and often, caused real-world harm.
Considering the speed with which information moves on both social and traditional media, much of which is now published online, once misinformation is out in the public sphere, it becomes exceedingly difficult to rectify. Way before the era of social media, were the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, where videos and fake news which incited public anger and subsequent virulent (real life) responses, as a result of the communal tensions which it stirred. Although these videos were subsequently found to be unrelated to the events in Muzaffarnagar, the damage had unfortunately, already been done.
Another concerning, and more recent case, was that of the rumors spread about child kidnappers in 2018 that encouraged the lynching of what was later shown to be innocent individuals, in the Tamil states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Assam. Modern additions of deepfakes and AI manipulated videos are the latest tools in the arsenal of those pushing false narratives, and allow one to create disinformation, quite literally with the push of a button.
As was noted, although social media has been a primary vector for disinformation, an additional target has been the traditional press. Seeking to boost ratings with sensationalist stories, these are often even more prone to disinformation. The fact that less people are now watching and reading the conventional media has also meant that these need to supplement much lacking ad revenues, with paid placements, much of which are comprised of unverified information. Aside from ruining the name of reputable publications which fall into this trap with easy profit in mind, the promotion of unsubstantiated claims also undermines journalistic integrity and erodes public trust in what was once a foundational institution of democracy.
The scope of this challenge facing the conventional media industry can be seen from a recent case that was heard in Indian courts. The case involves an American strategic investor from the oil and gas industry, Gaurav Srivastava, and an article which was published in The Tribune, full of slanderous lies and false information. The case of this article found itself in the Delhi High Court, where Justice Pratibha M. Singh has called upon the media organization to disclose the receipts proving who paid for the defamatory advertorial published against Gaurav Srivastava and eventually ruling that the articles needed to be removed and deindexed from Google. Mr. Srivastava has been subjected to a relentless smear campaign by a disgruntled business partner, Dutch oil trader Niels Troost, who gained notoriety when he was recently sanctioned for violating international sanctions regimes through the sale of embargoed Russian oil.
The smear campaign disclosed in the Tribune was one of many placements which the disgraced Troost has used to undermined his former business partner, whose shares he stole in what has been a very high-profile case of corporate thievery. In late 2023, Troost unilaterally removed the 50% shareholding which Srivastava held in Paramount Energy, acting in contravention of corporate governance while employing a variety of excuses to justify his actions.
The smear campaign which Troost has run against Srivastava has been executed through paid placements in particularly lower tier publications with an eye towards shaping the public narrative in his favor. Often disguised as legitimate news, these have falsely slandered Gaurav Srivastava, accusing him of financial improprieties, unethical business practices, and personal misconduct. Reading the articles closely however, reveals a string of uncorroborated allegations, which rely heavily on the one sided, and often contradictory perspective of a disgruntled former business partner.
The intent behind this campaign is obvious; damaging Gaurav Srivastava’s brand as a seasoned businessman and one of America’s most prolific oil traders while influencing public opinion against him. As the case in the Delhi High Court suggests, such malicious tactics are not just unethical but also legally dubious and place in the spotlight on the disturbing exploitation of otherwise credible media platforms, used to settle personal vendettas.
The disinformation epidemic in India, as is evidenced by cases such as this, continues to distort reality and erode trust in foundational institutions of Indian democracy. More comprehensive legal recourse must be made available to people such as Gaurav Srivastava whose reputations are severely damaged due to the ill intent of malicious actors.
