The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, better known as MeitY, has issued an advisory to social media platforms about misinformation and manipulated content, according to a report by Moneycontrol.com. At first glance, this may sound like another piece of bureaucratic paperwork, but it is actually a significant moment in India’s digital governance. The advisory is a clear signal that the government is no longer willing to accept a passive, hands-off approach from social media companies when it comes to the integrity of online information. It comes at a time when deepfakes, AI-generated videos, doctored audio clips, and coordinated online…

It begins like so many fragments of digital life: a quiet evening, a phone glowing in the dark, a post with a black-and-white photograph and a caption that makes the heart stop. On the night of the 7th, posts titled “Obituary: Cartoonist Huh Young-man has passed away” began circulating across social media networks. At first glance, the words seemed unmistakable, almost official. They carried the weight of finality, the grammar of a public announcement that no one wants to see and everyone feels compelled to share. Within a short period, the posts had collected tens of thousands of views and…