FM Sitharaman Bats For Crypto? Here's What The Fact Check Revealed

A video circulating on social media claims that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is promoting a cryptocurrency platform, which enables easy daily income. This viral video presents a false message that crypto investment is a legitimate avenue for easy wealth.

In response, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) released a clarification fact check explaining the video was indeed digitally altered through AI. Sitharaman was said to have issued no statements in support of cryptocurrency investments but PIB proved it false that some statements were encouraging investments on cryptocurrencies. Such videos are thus fake to dupe all those who came across them with such stories as part of an increased trend of news and fake news going viral through channels of social media.

With the advancement of this digital era, users should be aware of the authenticity of information circulating in the virtual world. Misleading news or information concerning investment and finance issues causes serious confusion to individuals, sometimes even a financial loss if they blindly believe those misleading statements.

The PIB fact-checking desk called for the public to verify information through government official channels and not engage in sharing and propagating false information to further fuel the spread. The office also reminded others to be careful with all the videos and posts purportedly regarding cryptocurrencies that are created to deceive the audience.

This is part of a growing trend where content is digitally altered and used to make false claims, often with the intent of bashing public figures or pushing schemes that are fraudulent. And as AI technology advances further, it makes it harder for the public to distinguish truth from fiction because it now becomes easier to create quite convincing fake videos.

The government has also taken the step of curtailing fake news, and in doing so, it is the responsibility of social media platforms to actively seek out and eliminate deceitful content. This is the importance of the timely intervention by PIB, in that using credible news channels for verification and not succumbing to misleading online campaigns.