Big Tech and the Misinformation Crisis in South Asia

Over the last decade, misinformation, in the form of propaganda, fake news, hate speech, conspiracy theories, and AI-generated synthetic hate, has had a seriously deleterious impact on social and political
life across the globe. From anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and prejudiced narratives about religious and ethnic minorities to falsehoods targeting dissidents and political figures, misinformation has strained social cohesion, amplified public health crises, legitimized extremism, compromised election outcomes, and eroded trust in democratic institutions.

Used by both state and non-state actors, social media platforms and networks, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Youtube, Telegram, and more recently AI tools, are a central part of the global misinformation economy. The practices of so-called Big Tech firms, particularly the algorithmic amplification of harmful content and the lax enforcement of their own content moderation policies and guidelines, have also significantly contributed to the crisis of misinformation.

The consequences in South Asia and Southeast Asia have been especially severe: Facebook’s role in enabling genocide in Myanmar; incitement of violence in Sri Lanka; the Hindu far-right’s weaponization of anti-minority sentiment in India, resulting in offline attacks against Muslim and Christian communities; the use of social media in Pakistan to organize mob violence over blasphemy accusations; and a flood of disinformation during the May 2025 India-Pakistan military conflict.

Bringing together a distinguished group of speakers, the panel, jointly organized by the Center for South Asia at Stanford University and the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), will explore the multifaceted role played by Big Tech in South Asia’s misinformation crisis. Panelists will examine the legal and policy challenges posed by misinformation, present case studies of its real-world harms, analyze
barriers to holding governments and technology companies accountable, and discuss strategies and opportunities for meaningful intervention.

Rohit Chopra, Professor of Communication, Santa Clara University, Visiting Fellow 2024-25, Center for South Asia, Stanford University

Raqib Hameed Naik: Founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate; Research Scholar, Political Conflict, Gender and People's Rights Initiative, Center for Race and Gender. University of California, Berkeley

Victoire Rio, Executive Director, WHAT TO FIX

Ramsha Jahangir: Associate Editor, Tech Policy Press; Senior Fellow, Global Network Initiative

Sanjana Hattotuwa: Founder, Groundview, Sri Lanka's first citizen journalism website; former Director, Disinformation Project