Around 265 fake local news websites in more than sixty-five countries, including the US, Canada, Brussels & Geneva, are managed by Indian influence networks with an aim to influence international institutions along with elected representatives & sway public perception on Pakistan, a study by NGO EU DisinfoLab has found.
Most of these websites, the study found, were named after an extinct local newspaper or spoof real media outlets & republish content from several news agencies such as KCNA, Voice of America and Interfax. Some of these websites are themirrorofaustralia.com, thetimesofceylon.com, thehoovergazette.com, theseattlestar.com, miamivalleychannel.com, timesofgeneva.com & the dublingazette.com.
Additionally, these sites provided coverage of the same Indian-related demonstrations & events & republications of anti-Pakistan content from the Indian influence network.
To influence public perception on Pakistan
Pointing out that most of these websites have a Twitter account as well, EU DisinfoLab found that these fake media outlets were formed to “influence international institutions & elected representatives with coverage of specific events & demonstrations; provide NGOs with useful press material to reinforce their credibility & thus be impactful as well as influence public perceptions on Pakistan by multiplying iterations of the same content available on search engines.”
It further said that with several layers of media outlets that quote & republish one another, it was harder for the reader to trace the manipulation, & in turn (sometimes) offered a “mirage” of international support.
The EU DisinfoLab said that in Oct, European External Action Service’s East StratCom -- the EU Disinformation Task Force, had found that ‘eptoday.com’ – website of a self-proclaimed magazine for the European Parliament in Brussels, had been re-publishing a large amount of news directly from Russia Today and Voice of America. “Among this syndicated content, we unexpectedly found a large number of articles & op-eds related to minorities in Pakistan as well as other India-related matters.”
Indian stakeholders
It was then discovered that EP Today was managed by Indian stakeholders with ties to a large network of think tanks, NGOs, & companies from the Srivastava Group. “We also found that the IP address of the Srivastava Group is also home to the obscure online media ‘New Delhi Times’ & the International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies (IINS), which are all based at the same address in New Delhi, India.”
After few weeks, IINS invited 27 Members of the European Parliament to visit Kashmir & to meet with PM Narendra Modi.
On further investigation, the EU DisinfoLab found that timesofgeneva.com – an online “newspaper” that is “approaching 35 years in business”, has the same content as EP Today & produces videos covering events & demonstrations criticising Pakistan’s role in the Kashmir conflict.
by Yuthika Bhargav
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