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The trouble when fact-checking is in English and social media isn’t
We have to find more effective ways to counter fake news being spread through vernacular content.
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While fake news in English is closely monitored, vernacular content does not receive the same scrutiny.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Benjamin Ang
If you usually read and watch your news and entertainment in English, then there’s a hidden battle for truth going on in the digital battlespace that you may not have noticed. In recent months, there has been a wave of sensational Chinese-language videos on social media platforms, claiming that Singapore’s political leadership is in a state of “turmoil” or “internal strife”. With alarming titles such as “Singapore is starting to bleed” and “The chaos in Singapore”, these videos are not just clickbait, but can also erode public trust in public institutions and the economy, thereby threatening national security.
Researchers have identified a low-cost assembly line behind this surge, with threat actors leveraging generative AI tools such as DeepSeek or Ernie to automate the entire production process – from scriptwriting and voice-overs to automated video editing with captions – for as little as US$1 (S$1.30) to US$2 for each 20-minute video. The technology has enabled channels on YouTube and TikTok to churn out hundreds of videos in the past few months, splashing sensational and misleading stories about regional politics.
