Fact Check: Is there prohibitory order for WhatsApp Group admins against fake news?

Since the time the coronavirus pandemic has begun, the rumours related to the virus as well as actions taken or not taken by the government are also spreading rapidly. This has led to officials taking strict actions against people who spread fake news. A recent claim on Whatsapp asks group admins to be aware and not share content that brings out government shortcomings.

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Origin

The Whatsapp message that has been making rounds on the social media and communication app talks about ‘a prohibitory order’ which will be effective from May 25 to June 8, 2020. The message requests all group admins to not post any content that projects government shortcomings or any political content. There is also a warning in the end that admins will be wholly responsible for any law and order situation.

There are important pointers to note about the above message. First and the most important point to check is that there is no mention of who is giving the prohibitory order, where it has been issued and when was it issued. Any order given by a government office will have the above details and it is a mandatory part of orders and releases.

Order from Mumbai Police

Coming to the actual order content, a news source informs that the Mumbai Police has brought forward prohibitory order under Section 144 and Section 188, which will be effective from May 25 to June 8. This prohibits people from sharing fake news on social media platforms. The article on the news source states four points that were mentioned by the Mumbai Police which are prohibited.

• Sharing of incorrect and fake information through Whatsapp, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok etc
• Causing panic and confusion in the public
• Derogatory and discriminatory order information towards a particular community
• Anything that incites uninformed mistrust for actions taken by the government functionaries and thus putting the safety of people from COVID-19 under risk.

The fourth point given in this particular order bars people from sharing wrong information under the name of the government or misinformation about any announcements done by government bodies. It does not prohibit people from sharing the ‘shortcomings of government’ or any ‘political content’. Thus the above message's information is incorrect.

The in-charge of the National Students Union of India, Ruchi Gupta, has shared a prohibitory order in Mumbai from the Police Commissioner of Mumbai that talks about the above-mentioned points. Gupta mentioned that the order is from the Police Commissioner and can be seen with a sign and stamp. However, no such order has been shared by the Mumbai Police official Twitter account and it is not available on the official website of Greater Mumbai Police. Thus, it is important to note that there has been no confirmation about this order from the officials.

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The claims mentioned are fake and misleading

The prohibitory order shared by Ruchi Gupta states that the Whatsapp group Admin will be responsible for any misleading information that is sent on their groups. These messages could be either sent by self or another member of the group. The message clipping above states that Admin will be responsible for any 'law and order' situation, while the actual notice mentions that the Admin will be held accountable only for the fake messages sent. 

How to set 'Only admin can message in Whatsapp group'

In order to take 'precautionary measures', the admin can stop incoming messages in a group. In the Group Settings, the admin can change the 'Send Messages' option to 'Only Admins'. Below are the screenshots of both iOS and Android settings.

(Source: Whatsapp)

Fact Checks on Whatsapp-related fake news

There has been a constant spread of fake news related to Whatsapp messages and content being shared on social media. Republic has many fact checks available on the site that can help one understand and clear out any misconceptions about the same. Here are a few:

Fact Check - Can Government Read WhatsApp Chats Based On The Number Of Ticks You See?

Fact Check: Can Police Take Action Against Whatsapp Group Admins For COVID-19 Based Jokes?