The X Accounts Distorting India’s Reality Online Through AI-Powered Fakes | BOOM Elon Musk's X is littered with deepfakes targeting India's military and national leadership - and it's a part of a co-ordinated influence operation.

A cluster of X handles are targeting India in a bid to destabilise the online discourse through a mix of videos manipulated with AI, fake quotes, bogus letters and fabricated news articles.

Karen Rebelo, Anmol Alphonso & Archis Chowdhury report

#AIVideos #SocialMedia

X Rolls Out New Transparency Feature To Reveal Account Backgrounds Elon Musk’s X has begun rolling out a new transparency feature called “About this account,” which displays details such as a user’s location, username change history, join date, and the app store thro...

Elon Musk’s X has begun rolling out a new transparency feature called “About this account,” which displays details such as a user’s location, username change history, join date, and the app store through which the account was created.

#ElonMusk
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COP30 Explained: What Countries Agreed To And Where They Fell Short | BOOM Brazil’s push for a fossil fuel phase-out was blocked by major petrostates, but COP30 delivered record deforestation funding and saw nearly half of all nations signal readiness to move beyond oil and....

Brazil’s push for a fossil fuel phase-out was blocked by major petrostates, but COP30 delivered record deforestation funding and saw nearly half of all nations signal readiness to move beyond oil and gas.

#COP30 #Deforestation #Climate
www.boomlive.in/explainers/c...

Modi Cheapfakes, Election Freebies: Scammers Use AI To Prey On India’s Poor | BOOM Fake promises of freebies and AI voice clones of Modi are fuelling a deluge of scams on Instagram. Working class Indians are handing over their mobile numbers and Aadhaar details to scammers.

Fake promises of freebies and AI voice clones of Modi are fuelling a deluge of scams on Instagram. Working class Indians are handing over their mobile numbers and Aadhaar details to scammers.

Shivam Human reports

#Scams #AIVoice #ScamAlert

The Folk Stars of Nautanki Are Going Viral. They Don’t Know Who Put Them Online | BOOM ​​Uttar Pradesh’s centuries-old folk theatre has billions of online views. Its performers, many without smartphones, remain invisible in the platform economy built on their art.

Millions watch Nautanki clips on YouTube. Most performers have never uploaded a video, some don’t own smartphones.

Nuzhat Khan & Shaba Manzoor spoke to nautanki artists and YouTubers to explore fame, money and control in the algorithmic age.

www.boomlive.in/decode/uttar...

Delhi Blast: Video Of DCP North Delhi Ruling Out Terror Angle Is Altered | BOOM BOOM found that the original video contains no such statement by DCP North Delhi about the blast in Delhi this week.

A video purporting to show Deputy Commissioner of Police North Delhi Raja Banthia ruling out a terror angle in the Delhi blast near the Red Fort, is altered and fake.

#FactCheck #RedFortBlast #Delhi
www.boomlive.in/fact-check/v...

Children Under Ten File 43% of Pollution-Linked Health Claims: Report According to the Policybazaar Health Insurance Insights Report 2025, 43 per cent of all pollution-linked health insurance claims between January and September 2025 came from children under ten, making...

According to the Policybazaar Health Insurance Insights Report 2025, 43% of all pollution-linked health insurance claims between January and September 2025 came from children under ten, making them five times more vulnerable than any other age group.

www.boomlive.in/web-stories/...

Interview: Can AI Comprehend The Complexities Of Indian Courtrooms? | BOOM As Kerala High Court mandates Adalat AI to transcribe witness depositions, Decode spoke to lawyer Leah Verghese to understand the implications of AI in courtrooms.

#Interview: As Kerala High Court mandates Adalat AI to transcribe witness depositions, Decode's Hera Rizwan spoke to lawyer Leah Verghese to understand the implications of AI in courtrooms.

Read here: www.boomlive.in/decode/inter...

Indian Journalists Sound Alarm Over Their AI Clones On YouTube | BOOM AI deepfakes of Hindi news journalists are propagating disinformation and warping perception.

Hindi news journalists with millions of subscribers on YouTube are battling a growing crop of fake YouTube channels cloning their voices and propagating disinformation in their names.

#YouTube
www.boomlive.in/decode/india...

Inside Musk’s Wikipedia: Grokipedia Spins Conspiracy Theories On Taj Mahal, Delhi Riots | BOOM Wikipedia editors see Grokipedia as a cautionary example of how AI can reframe history through tone and placement rather than fact.

From the Taj Mahal conspiracy theories to Delhi Riots coverage, Grokipedia subtly shifts narratives. Even accurate facts can mislead when Al decides tone, context, and emphasis. Read our report for more ⬇️

www.boomlive.in/decode/insid...

Video From Paraguay Peddled As Bangladeshi Illegal Immigrant Stealing In India | BOOM BOOM found that the viral video shows a thief stealing a bicycle in Asunción, Paraguay.

A CCTV footage showing a man scaling a wall with a barbed wire and stealing a bicycle in Paraguay is being shared on social media falsely claiming that it shows a Bangladeshi illegal immigrant committing a burglary in India

www.boomlive.in/fact-check/f...

How Indian Media’s Misinformation Machine Broke Its Ties With Nepal, Again | BOOM Years of mistrust between Nepalis and mainstream Indian media resurfaced as misinformation and sensational coverage fueled fresh anger during the Gen-Z protests.

When Nepali youths shouted ‘Godi media!’ at a reporter, they were unloading a decade of mistrust at Indian media’s coverage of Nepal.

Shivam Bhardwaj spoke to journalists to understand the anger against the Indian media

India to Host 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad India is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Ahmedabad after two decades. India last hosted the CWG in 2010 in New Delhi.

India is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Ahmedabad after two decades. India last hosted the CWG in 2010 in New Delhi.

www.boomlive.in/web-stories/...

AI Powered An Inter-state Exam Cheating Syndicate In India | BOOM The accused used apps like Remini AI, Fotor, and ChatGPT by uploading photos of the applicant and proxy to generate a new photo to dupe examiners.

Police in #UttarPradesh’s capital - #Lucknow - busted an inter-state exam cheating ring that used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create synthetic photos which enabled proxy candidates to appear for a job exam.

Shefali Srivastava reports

Gen Z vs Gen Z: The Online Battle Over Ladakh And Sonam Wangchuk | BOOM A narrative war on Ladakh is playing out on social media. Ladakh’s Gen Z on one side - constrained by internet connectivity and social media algorithms and on the other side slickly produced videos.....

A narrative war on #Ladakh is playing out on social media. Ladakh’s GenZ on one side -constrained by internet connectivity and social media algorithms & on the other side slickly produced videos by youth linked to BJP. Read our latest report ⬇️

Trump’s 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan: Hope or Another Temporary Truce? | BOOM US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan brings cautious hope as Hamas and Israel agree to key steps, but experts warn lasting peace will depend on governance, political will, and Palestinian.....

US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan brings cautious hope as Hamas and Israel agree to key steps, but experts warn lasting peace will depend on governance, political will, and Palestinian statehood.

www.boomlive.in/explainers/t...

How AI Memes Turned An Attack On India’s Top Judge Into Casteist Heroism | BOOM AI-fueled social media narratives have seized on CJI Gavai’s caste and religious background to attack and delegitimise him after the shoe attack incident.

Punjab Police have filed multiple FIRs over casteist social media posts glorifying a shoe attack attempt on CJI #BRGavai. Most of the comments supported the narrative. Some, though, tagged the police, calling for action against the casteist content.

ICC Women's Cricket WC: Photo Of Fatima Sana Touching Smriti Mandhana's Feet Is AI | BOOM A viral photo claiming to show Pakistani Women’s cricket team captain Fatima Sana kneeling and touching the feet of Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana during the India vs Pakistan match at the ICC...

The photo shows Pakistan captain Fatima Sana kneeling and touching the feet of Indian cricketer #SmritiMandhana. BOOM ran the photo by several AI detection tools, which flagged the image as likely AI-generated.

www.boomlive.in/fact-check/f...

Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis Awarded 2025 Nobel in Physics for Quantum Circuit Discovery The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis, “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an e...

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis, “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit.”

#NobelPrize #Nobel
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NCRB Data On Cyber Crimes Dated, Not Indicative Of True Picture: Experts | BOOM The much-delayed report is an eye-opener on the rise of cybercrimes and the challenges they pose.

The delay in the release of NCRB data on cyber crimes makes it irrelevant and does not paint the true picture on the ground, experts told BOOM. Digital crimes evolve faster than the law can catch up with it.

#Cybercrime #NCRBReport
www.boomlive.in/news/ncrb-re...

Cropped Video Peddled Falsely Claiming Rani Mukerji Scolded Rajdeep Sardesai | BOOM BOOM found that in the original interview, Sardesai had requested Mukerji to reenact a scene from her movie Mardaani, in which he volunteered to play the hooligan being hauled up by a woman police...

A cropped video showing Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji sternly telling India Today anchor Rajdeep Sardesai to sit down is being shared on social media with the false claim that she was reacting to a sexist remark about her weight.

#FactCheck
www.boomlive.in/fact-check/f...

Between Justice And Myth: How Assam Is Mourning Zubeen Garg | BOOM Grief, amplified by algorithms, has blurred the line between remembrance and rage, turning a state’s sorrow into a battleground of speculation.

Following #ZubeenGarg’s death, social media filled with reels, rumours, and trending hashtags. Grief, amplified by algorithms, has blurred the line between remembrance and rage, turning a state’s sorrow into a battleground of speculation.

From Exposing Corruption To Becoming A Hashtag: The Tragic Death of Rajeev Pratap | BOOM Rajeev Pratap’s YouTube channel ‘Delhi Uttarakhand Live’ brought attention to the hardships of Uttarakhand’s neglected villages.

From broken roads to displaced families — journalist #RajeevPratap used his channel 'Delhi Uttarakhand Live' to spotlight the struggles of mountain communities. His sudden death has left many asking questions.

www.boomlive.in/decode/from-...

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Asia Cup 2025: No, Ricky Ponting Did Not Slam India Over Pak Handshake Row | BOOM BOOM found the quote is fake, and Ricky Ponting has not slammed India for refusing shaking hands with Pakistani players.

A fake quote is being attributed to former Australian captain #RickyPonting, falsely claiming he criticised the Indian men's cricket team for not shaking hands with Pakistan after their Asia Cup T20 match on September 14.

Nepal Protests: Video From Sikkim Peddled As Pro-India Rally | BOOM BOOM found that the video shows a rally attended by the Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) on the eve of country’s Independence Day celebration.

A video shows people in #Nepal holding a rally while chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'.

✅ BOOM found that the footage was recorded in #Sikkim during an Independence Day celebration rally attended by the state’s CM Prem Singh Tamang (Golay).

India’s Mughal History Is Being Rewritten As AI Fantasies | BOOM AI history channels are reimagining the Mughal era for millions of viewers. But in a country already fighting over monuments and memory, the distortions are telling.

Shah Jahan “chopping workers’ hands”, Jahan Ara in an incestuous scandal: Rumours are passing off as history lessons through AI videos.

Sumaiyaa Ali reports on how AI videos are rewriting Mughal history

The ‘Nepo Baby’ Trend Is Exposing Corruption In Nepal One Reel At A Time | BOOM Nepal’s meme and lifestyle pages are turning ‘nepo baby’ reels into a digital record of corruption, inequality, and public anger.

Nepal’s meme and lifestyle pages are turning ‘nepo baby’ reels into a digital record of corruption, inequality, and public anger.

Hera Rizwan reports

#NepalProtest #Corruption
www.boomlive.in/decode/the-n...

Sushant Singh Rajput Came Alive As A Meta AI Bot To Seek Justice | BOOM The AI bot of the actor, who died by suicide in June 2020, spewed out conspiracy theories. Meta removed the chatbot after we brought it to their attention.

A Meta AI chatbot impersonating #SushantSinghRajput spread conspiracy theories about his death — denied his suicide, named people as “killers,” and urged fans to seek “justice.” Meta has now removed it.

Read Adrija Bose & Karen Rebelo's story

www.boomlive.in/decode/meta-...

Ethanol Is Patriotism: How Influencers Are Selling Government Fuel Policy | BOOM India’s ethanol push has found cheerleaders in influencers, but their glossy reels don’t always capture the full picture of its impact.

India’s ethanol push has found cheerleaders in influencers, but their glossy reels don’t always capture the full picture of its impact.

Read Decode's latest investigation
www.boomlive.in/decode/ethan...