MADURAI: With the election round the corner, the candidates have to take on not just the political barbs, but also the fake posts and AI-generated videos, particularly those targeting specific user groups.
A few days ago, a social media post cited a purported news channel clip that quoted former Madurai mayor and AIADMK candidate for Thiruparankundram VV Rajan Chellappa promising to remove religious structure in Thiruparankundram Hill. When the post went viral, the candidate claiming the post to be completely fake.
Speaking to the TNIE, Chellappa said,”This post is aimed at creating division. Some Muslim community members also reached out to me, and I clarified that the news is a fabricated one. Posts like these not only distort our party’s stance but also damage my reputation.”
Besides the post attributed to Chellappa, one about DMK candidate for Thiruparankundram, Krithika Thangapandian, promising creation of special law on Thiruparankundram was also widely circulated. In her response, Krithika said, “Our IT wing has already filed a cybercrime complaint with the police.”
These sensitive topics apart, many posts are doing the rounds to solicit support for particular political parties. A social media post that was also attributed to a TV channel said people associated with a masjid in Vellore are urging Muslim communities to support the DMK.
Another post alleged Nagapattinam MLA Aloor Shanavas saying that as he is from a minority religion, he was ostracised in his party, the VCK.
That’s not all. Adding to the chaos, an AI-generated video of actor Vijay of TVK urging people to vote for DMK went viral on social media. The clip had perfect voiceover with accurate pronunciation. However, TVK quickly identified it as intentionally manipulated content.
Speaking to the TNIE, AIADMK IT Wing deputy secretary D Gowrishankar said these posts spread rapidly as they deal with a specific subject or candidate.
“For instance, a fake post involving Thiruparankundram and the AIADMK candidate was widely circulated on various platforms. However, once the news channel clarified it to be fake, our IT wing lodged a complaint with the cyber police.
Besides, these are challenging when it is shared within smaller social media groups like WhatsApp.” R Bharathidasan, a farmer from Kodaikanal said people fail to verify before sharing the posts indiscriminately.
Many believe fake posts and fake videos are created by IT wings of political parties in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to the TNIE, DMK IT wing’s state deputy secretary P Prabhu said,”Fake news or fabricated posts are not created by the IT wing of the parties, as the origin of such content can be easily traced using IP address. A simple complaint with the cybercrime police can put an end to the menace. These are created by over-enthusiastic youngsters who act out of admiration for their leaders.”