GUWAHATI, March 3: Assam Congress has decided to initiate legal action against anonymous Facebook pages allegedly spreading fake news in the run up to the state Assembly elections.
The Opposition party on Tuesday claimed to have identified three such pages allegedly spreading misinformation on social media
“It has been observed that certain vested interest groups have opened anonymous Facebook pages in the style of news portals and have been relentlessly spreading fake news on social media day and night over the past few days. Most of these anonymous pages are designed to resemble established news channels and are publishing fabricated reports,” a statement issued by the Assam PCC said on Tuesday.
“In an apparent attempt to benefit the ruling side, these malicious groups, through such anonymous Facebook pages, have been circulating false news in the name of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi, along with several senior Congress leaders and spokespersons,’ the party claimed.
“Apart from the Congress, leaders of other Opposition parties have also been targeted by these anonymous pages. To avoid public suspicion, the pages occasionally publish one or two fabricated reports involving certain leaders from the ruling party as well,” it stated.
The media and communication department of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee has already identified two such anonymous Facebook pages that have been consistently spreading fake news. “Similarly, another Facebook page is operating in the style of a news portal and frequently disseminating fake news,” it claimed.
Chairman of the APCC media and communication department, Bedabrata Bora, has urged netizens not to believe posts published by these anonymous Facebook pages at face value.
Speaking on the matter, Bora stated, “All three of these Facebook pages are anonymous. Although two pages have listed phone numbers, they are not active. This clearly indicates that certain malicious elements have created such anonymous Facebook pages in the run-up to the election to run a propaganda campaign against the Congress and other Opposition parties.”
Bora further informed that the APCC media and communication department would soon lodge a case against these anonymous Facebook pages under the Information Technology Act.
