#FactCheck - Debunking the AI-Generated Image of an Alleged Israeli Army Dog Attack
Executive Summary:
A photo allegedly shows an Israeli Army dog attacking an elderly Palestinian woman has been circulating online on social media. However, the image is misleading as it was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI), as indicated by its graphical elements, watermark ("IN.VISUALART"), and basic anomalies. Although there are certain reports regarding the real incident in several news channels, the viral image was not taken during the actual event. This emphasizes the need to verify photos and information shared on social media carefully.
Claims:
A photo circulating in the media depicts an Israeli Army dog attacking an elderly Palestinian woman.
Fact Check:
Upon receiving the posts, we closely analyzed the image and found certain discrepancies that are commonly seen in AI-generated images. We can clearly see the watermark “IN.VISUALART” and also the hand of the old lady looks odd.
We then checked in AI-Image detection tools named, True Media and contentatscale AI detector. Both found potential AI Manipulation in the image.
Both tools found it to be AI Manipulated. We then keyword searched for relevant news regarding the viral photo. Though we found relevant news, we didn’t get any credible source for the image.
The photograph that was shared around the internet has no credible source. Hence the viral image is AI-generated and fake.
Conclusion:
The circulating photo of an Israeli Army dog attacking an elderly Palestinian woman is misleading. The incident did occur as per the several news channels, but the photo depicting the incident is AI-generated and not real.
- Claim: A photo being shared online shows an elderly Palestinian woman being attacked by an Israeli Army dog.
- Claimed on: X, Facebook, LinkedIn
- Fact Check: Fake & Misleading
Related Blogs
The rapid innovation of technology and its resultant proliferation in India has integrated businesses that market technology-based products with commerce. Consumer habits have now shifted from traditional to technology-based products, with many consumers opting for smart devices, online transactions and online services. This migration has increased potential data breaches, product defects, misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices.
The need to regulate technology-based commercial industry is seen in the backdrop of various threats that technologies pose, particularly to data. Most devices track consumer behaviour without the authorisation of the consumer. Additionally, products are often defunct or complex to use and the configuration process may prove to be lengthy with a vague warranty.
It is noted that consumers also face difficulties in the technology service sector, even while attempting to purchase a product. These include vendor lock-ins (whereby a consumer finds it difficult to migrate from one vendor to another), dark patterns (deceptive strategies and design practices that mislead users and violate consumer rights), ethical concerns etc.
Against this backdrop, consumer laws are now playing catch up to adequately cater to new consumer rights that come with technology. Consumer laws now have to evolve to become complimentary with other laws and legislation that govern and safeguard individual rights. This includes emphasising compliance with data privacy regulations, creating rules for ancillary activities such as advertising standards and setting guidelines for both product and product seller/manufacturer.
The Legal Framework in India
Currently, Consumer Laws in India while not tech-targeted, are somewhat adequate; The Consumer Protection Act 2019 (“Act”) protects the rights of consumers in India. It places liability on manufacturers, sellers and service providers for any harm caused to a consumer by faulty/defective products. As a result, manufacturers and sellers of ‘Internet & technology-based products’ are brought under the ambit of this Act. The Consumer Protection Act 2019 may also be viewed in light of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, which mandates the security of the digital personal data of an individual. Envisioned provisions such as those pertaining to mandatory consent, purpose limitation, data minimization, mandatory security measures by organisations, data localisation, accountability and compliance by the DPDP Act can be applied to information generated by and for consumers.
Multiple regulatory authorities and departments have also tasked themselves to issue guidelines that imbibe the principle of caveat venditor. To this effect, the Networks & Technologies (NT) wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on 2 March 2023, issued the Advisory Guidelines to M2M/IoT stakeholders for securing consumer IoT (“Guidelines”) aiming for M2M/IoT (i.e. Machine to Machine/Internet of things) compliance with the safety and security standards and guidelines in order to protect the users and the networks that connect these devices. The comprehensive Guidelines suggest the removal of universal default passwords and usernames such as “admin” that come preprogrammed with new devices and mandate the password reset process to be done after user authentication. Web services associated with the product are required to use Multi-Factor Authentication and duty is cast on them to not expose any unnecessary user information prior to authentication. Further, M2M/IoT stakeholders are required to provide a public point of contact for reporting vulnerability and security issues. Such stakeholders must also ensure that the software components are updateable in a secure and timely manner. An end-of-life policy is to be published for end-point devices which states the assured duration for which a device will receive software updates.
The involvement of regulatory authorities depends on the nature of technology products; a single product or technical consumer threat may see multiple guidelines. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) notes that cryptocurrency and related products were considered as the most violative category to commit fraud. In an attempt to protect consumer safety, it introduced guidelines to regulate advertising and promotion of virtual digital assets (VDA) exchange and trading platforms and associated services as a necessary interim measure in February 2022. It mandates that all VDA ads must carry the stipulated disclaimer “Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions.” must be made in a prominent and unmissable manner.
Further, authorities such as Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also issue cautionary notes to consumers and investors against crypto trading and ancillary activities. Even bodies like Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) act as a complimenting authority, since product quality, including electronic products, is emphasised by mandating compliance to prescribed standards.
It is worth noting that ASCI has proactively responded to new-age technology-induced threats to consumers by attempting to tackle “dark patterns” through its existing Code on Misleading Ads (“Code”), since it is applicable across media to include online advertising on websites and social media handles. It was noted by ASCI that 29% of advertisements were disguised ads by influencers, which is a form of dark pattern. Although the existing Code addressed some issues, a need was felt to encompass other dark patterns.
Perhaps in response, the Central Consumer Protection Authority in November 2023 released guidelines addressing “dark patterns” under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 (“Guidelines”). The Guidelines define dark patterns as deceptive strategies and design practices that mislead users and violate consumer rights. These may include creating false urgency, scarcity or popularity of a product, basket sneaking (whereby additional services are added automatically on purchase of a product or service), confirm shaming (it refers to statements such as “I will stay unsecured” when opting out of travel insurance on booking of transportation tickets), etc. The Guidelines also cater to several data privacy considerations; for example, they stipulate a bar on encouraging consumers from divulging more personal information while making purchases due to difficult language and complex settings of their privacy policies, thereby ensuring compliance of technology product sellers and e-commerce platforms/vendors with data privacy laws in India. It is to be noted that the Guidelines are applicable on all platforms that systematically offer goods and services in India, advertisers and sellers.
Conclusion
Consumer laws for technology-based products in India play a pivotal role in safeguarding the rights and interests of individuals in an era marked by rapid technological advancements. These legislative frameworks, spanning facets such as data protection, electronic transactions, and product liability, assume a pivotal role in establishing a regulatory equilibrium that addresses the nuanced challenges of the digital age. The dynamic evolution of the digital landscape necessitates an adaptive legal infrastructure that ensures ongoing consumer safeguarding amidst technological innovations. As the digital landscape evolves, it is imperative for regulatory frameworks to adapt, ensuring that consumers are protected from potential risks associated with emerging technologies. Striking a balance between innovation and consumer safety requires ongoing collaboration between policymakers, businesses, and consumers. By staying attuned to the evolving needs of the digital age, Indian consumer laws can provide a robust foundation for security and equitable relationships between consumers and technology-based products.
References:
- https://dot.gov.in/circulars/advisory-guidelines-m2miot-stakeholders-securing-consumer-iot
- https://www.mondaq.com/india/advertising-marketing--branding/1169236/asci-releases-guidelines-to-govern-ads-for-cryptocurrency
- https://www.ascionline.in/the-asci-code/#:~:text=Chapter%20I%20(4)%20of%20the,nor%20deceived%20by%20means%20of
- https://www.ascionline.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/dark-patterns.pdf
Executive Summary:
A viral message is circulating claiming the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has banned the use of black ink for writing cheques. This information is incorrect. The RBI has not issued any such directive, and cheques written in black ink remain valid and acceptable.
Claim:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new guidelines prohibiting using black ink for writing cheques. As per the claimed directive, cheques must now be written exclusively in blue or green ink.
Fact Check:
Upon thorough verification, it has been confirmed that the claim regarding the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issuing a directive banning the use of black ink for writing cheques is entirely false. No such notification, guideline, or instruction has been released by the RBI in this regard. Cheques written in black ink remain valid, and the public is advised to disregard such unverified messages and rely only on official communications for accurate information.
As stated by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), this claim is false The Reserve Bank of India has not prescribed specific ink colors to be used for writing cheques. There is a mention of the color of ink to be used in point number 8, which discusses the care customers should take while writing cheques.
Conclusion:
The claim that the Reserve Bank of India has banned the use of black ink for writing cheques is completely false. No such directive, rule, or guideline has been issued by the RBI. Cheques written in black ink are valid and acceptable. The RBI has not prescribed any specific ink color for writing cheques, and the public is advised to disregard unverified messages. While general precautions for filling out cheques are mentioned in RBI advisories, there is no restriction on the color of the ink. Always refer to official sources for accurate information.
- Claim: The new RBI ink guidelines are mandatory from a specified date.
- Claimed On: Social Media
- Fact Check: False and Misleading
A photo featuring Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan and actress Aishwarya Rai is being widely shared on social media. In the image, the Kedarnath Temple is clearly visible in the background. Users are claiming that the couple recently visited the Kedarnath shrine for darshan.
Cyber Peace Foundation’s research found the viral claim to be false. Our research revealed that the image of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai is not real, but AI-generated, and is being misleadingly shared as a genuine photograph.
Claim
On January 14, 2026, a user on X (formerly Twitter) shared the viral image with a caption suggesting that all rumours had ended and that the couple had restarted their life together. The post further claimed that both actors were seen smiling after a long time, implying that the image was taken during their visit to Kedarnath Temple.
The post has since been widely circulated on social media platforms
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we first conducted a keyword search on Google related to Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, and a Kedarnath visit. However, we did not find any credible media reports confirming such a visit.
On closely examining the viral image, several visual inconsistencies raised suspicion about it being artificially generated. To confirm this, we scanned the image using the AI detection tool Sightengine. According to the tool’s analysis, the image was found to be 84 percent AI-generated.
Additionally, we scanned the same image using another AI detection tool, HIVE Moderation. The results showed an even stronger indication, classifying the image as 99 percent AI-generated.
Conclusion
Our research confirms that the viral image showing Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai at Kedarnath Temple is not authentic. The picture is AI-generated and is being falsely shared on social media to mislead users.
