We don’t know a lot about the organisation that allegedly sponsored the unofficial visit of a delegation from the European Union last month to the disputed Kashmir Valley. But now it is being alleged that this organisation has links to an international fake news network that is being managed by an Indian influence network. The organisation runs more than 265 news websites across 65 countries in the world. It has been found out by an extensive study of the organisation conducted by a non-governmental organisation EU DisinfoLab that the main aim of these websites is to turn governmental as well as public perceptions against Pakistan internationally. Most of the websites that this organisation runs are named after defunct newspapers or websites.
In a shameful unfolding of events it has been found out that an Indian company named ‘EP Today’ and is run by an ‘Indian Influence Network’ is responsible for running more than 265 fake media outlets across 65 countries of the world. This revelation has been made by the EU Disinfo Lab, an independent platform that works for fighting fake news and disinformation regarding the European Union.
The EU Disinfo group found out that most of the websites being run by the Indian Influence Network were named after extinct local newspapers or spoof real media outlets.
The organisation lists some primary reasons as to why these news websites exist, the main reasons are stated as to influence international institutions and elected representatives to cover specific events or programs, give information in favour of local NGOs that will enable them to validate their work, influence the public perception on Pakistan etc.
The group has stated that it began to study the website owned by the portal that had called itself a monthly news magazine for the European Parliament, when it realised that most of the articles found on the website were against Pakistan or about the minorities living in different parts of India. The study added that the EU Disinformation Task Force called the European External Action Service’s East StratCom and found EP Today to be nothing but a lobby group. The group is managed by Indian stakeholders and has ties with a large number of NGOs and think tanks.
