CHENNAI: Pointing out that disinformation, misinformation and hate speech are seriously affecting society, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said that disinformation and misinformation together will likely become the most severe global threat in the coming years.
The deputy CM said this while addressing the valedictory of the three-day workshop on ‘Addressing Social Media Challenges’, organised for the National Service Scheme (NSS) students in Chennai. He said that according to the Global Risks Report 2024, disinformation ranks as the second biggest risk worldwide.
“It may be in second place now. In two years time, misinformation and disinformation are going to be the biggest threats in the world. Besides, hate speech is also affecting the country in a big way. Particularly, minorities and marginalised people are the most affected by hate speech. For example, there were reports about people being attacked in northern states because they ate beef,” the deputy CM added.
Referring to his remark on ‘Sanatana dharma’ that attracted opposition from many parts of India, Udhayanidhi said the remarks he made two years ago on the need for caste-based discrimination to be eradicated were twisted and spread. “My words were twisted and circulated across the country with claims that I had said something I never did. Also, Rs 10 lakh bounty was announced for my head,” he said.
“To create awareness and prevent the spread of disinformation, a fact-checking unit has been established. As a result, the spread of disinformation has come down heavily,” he added.
The deputy CM said that so far, training has been imparted to 47,000 persons, including students, government officials, and professors, on how to handle disinformation on social media. He also requested the NSS volunteers to act as warriors against misinformation in society.