Disinformation, fake news strong enough to disrupt society: Shah

Delivering the 37th Intelligence Bureau Centenary Endowment Lecture in New Delhi, Shah said, “Divisive forces are still active in the country today. Disinformation, misinformation, mal-information, and fake news have such power that they are always ready to disrupt the social fabric of our society with the help of new technology.”

Addressing the gathering, the Union minister said that attacks on critical infrastructure, cyberattacks, information warfare, psychological warfare, chemical warfare, and the radicalization of youth have emerged as intensified challenges.

Also read | Insult to Ambedkar: Congress to submit memo seeking Amit Shah’s removal

Shah also stressed the need to develop an intelligence coordination strategy with friendly nations to detect anti-India organisations and networks.

“He said merely sharing information is not enough; we must also ensure that we receive vital intelligence from them. He highlighted the need to take prompt and decisive action against hoax calls and fake emails, as enemies of the country are successfully creating an atmosphere of fear and terror among the public through these means,” a Press Information Bureau(PIB) statement quoted the minister as saying.

He said that till five years back, the country faced three long-standing issues, Northeast, left-wing extremism (LWE), and Kashmir, which challenged the country’s peace, law and order, security, and future.

Shah said if challenges such as left-wing extremism, terrorism, organised crime, divisive forces, communalism, narcotics, and antisocial elements are to be fully controlled, ensuring the security of society is of paramount importance.

Also read | Ukraine drones strike buildings in heart of Russia in 9/11 style attack

The aviation sector has been severely hit by hundreds of hoax calls about bombs in airplanes and airports. While a few cases in which the calls were made by students or those without any terror links, have been solve, the probe has hit road block in majority of the cases because

the calls were made using virtual private networks. According to government data, 680 hoax calls were received, in October alone, impacting tens of thousands of passengers and causing losses to the airlines and operators. Such hoax calls about bombs have also been received at schools, malls and hospitals too.

A government spokesperson, Shah’s address during the lecture also spoke on the other challenges. “He pointed out that challenges such as using misinformation to provoke separatism, communal riots, drug trade via social media, cyber espionage, and cryptocurrency-related issues have now emerged as unique challenges. He emphasized that in order to tackle these challenges, we must prepare our agencies with new methods, stepping beyond traditional approaches. He stressed that we need to think out of the box to find solutions, because as the challenges evolve, our strategies must also change,” the PIB statement said.

Also read | CISF updates protocols to deal with hoax threat menace targeting airlines

The home minister in his address said that till five years ago, the country faced three long-standing issues – the Northeast, Left-Wing Extremism, and Kashmir, that challenged its peace, law and order, security, and future. “He added that due to the strict policies and tough decisions of the Modi government, the upcoming generations no longer need to worry about these three threats, as we have achieved almost decisive victory over them. He mentioned that violent incidents in these three regions have dropped by 70%, and fatalities have reduced by approximately 86%…… He pointed out that with just one click of a computer, any country’s critical and digital infrastructure can be damaged. He stressed that we need to broaden the Intelligence Bureau’s concept of security and prepare for the challenges of the future,” the PIB statement said.

The Intelligence Bureau is responsible for the country’s internal security. The current IB chief is Tapan Deka, a 1988 batch IPS officer. Unlike other forces, the IB is a shadow organisation and does not speak to the press or give statements but works in the background.

The home minister during this work reiterated the importance of the IB, its work over the years, and its tradition of sacrifice and dedication—where credit is often passed on to others—have kept the country safe today. The IB does not have the power to arrest or investigate and always passes on its tip-offs to other agencies. “By identifying and eliminating threats in a timely manner, the intelligence ecosystem helps maintain trust and stability within society…. if we are to fully control challenges such as Naxalism, terrorism, organized crime, divisive forces, communalism, narcotics, and antisocial elements, ensuring the security of society is of paramount importance,” Shah said according to the IB statement.