#FactCheck- Viral Video Misleadingly Linked to Iran–US Tensions and Kuwait Military Base Claim

Introduction

For more than 10 years, WhatsApp has been designed around one seemingly trivial but impactful idea: your phone number is your digital identity. This concept offered simplicity in terms of contact discovery and onboard- ing but inevitably exposed users to fraud, spam and the everyday necessity of sharing personal phone numbers with complete strangers in group chats and conversations. On June 29th Meta finally revealed a major move: you’ll now be able to choose and reservate a WhatsApp username and communicate without sharing your phone number.  

This shift to a username based identity marks the company catching up to platforms like Telegram and Signal, which have utilized this functionality for years. 

However, while presented as a push towards greater privacy for the millions using its platform, this new change has already created some alarm around impersonation, cybersquatting, and identity theft. The issues became amplified when, according to reports, the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology advised WhatsApp to halt the implementation of the new features while it clarifies details, shifting a mundane app update into a high-stakes discussion on digital privacy, platform responsibility, and government regulation.

How does the mechanism work?

“WhatsApp’s username is an added pseudonym layer on its current phone number architecture, not a replacement,” Meta said in a statement on Thursday, as reported by TechCrunch. A WhatsApp username is a three to 35-character name containing lower case letters, numbers, periods and underscores that must contain at least one letter and “should not look like a website address.” The feature will allow you to “reserve a unique identifier that you can share as an alternative to your phone number in WhatsApp Settings - Accounts - Username.”

It said the usernames will work in parallel with a username key which can serve as a passphrase to initiate conversation “with a recipient before sending a message for the first time.”

“The change - which will have some additional, protective measures like reserving usernames for people of public interest or those that would cause impersonation, and rate limits on claiming names - can help maintain phone number protection, while offering people more choices,” Meta said. WhatsApp said usernames will replace phone numbers as the primary way to initiate new chats, but will not be publicly searchable: “Anyone you message would need your exact username, and would still need you to respond.”

The Genuine Privacy Case 

The upside is real. Phone numbers double as keys to two-factor authentication, banking apps and SIM-swap fraud, so handing one to a new acquaintance, a group chat of strangers or a customer-support bot has always carried quiet risk. Numbers harvested from public groups already fuel spam and scam campaigns, and a username-first model narrows that exposure considerably. 

For journalists, small business owners and anyone who fields messages from people they've never met, decoupling identity from a number that also unlocks their bank account is a meaningful, overdue shift – and one that WhatsApp's closest competitors adopted years ago without major incident. 

The Scammer's Paradise Scenario

The trouble lies in what a username removes. A phone number was never just an identifier; it was also a rough verification signal and, for law enforcement, a traceable data point. Security reporters testing the reservation system found that lookalike handles mimicking prominent Indian politicians, film stars and the Reserve Bank of India remained available to claim. Crypto executive Changpeng Zhao's own failed bid to capture his desired handle highlighted the first-come, first-served danger of the rollout and led researchers to advise people to manually activate the optional username key that Meta leaves disabled by default. 

The Mozilla Foundation was unvarnished about the tradeoff, noting that impersonation from fake accounts and scams are an “inevitable consequence” of a design that abandons the “implicit signal of authenticity” that comes from owning a phone number. 

Indian entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo called the rollout a potential “disaster” if robust enforcement against fraud isn’t immediately applied because scammers could register handles a few characters removed from a popular brand or public figure to launch investment and payment schemes, a concern mirrored by cyber security researchers who observed that many users neglect to check verification badges before trusting an account.

India's Regulatory Scrutiny of WhatsApp's Username Feature

So far the strongest reaction comes from New Delhi. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued an official notice to Meta's compliance office that it should “temporarily suspend the feature” in the country pending further consultations and “provided an explanation in three days”. The cited concerns involve “digital arrest” fraud, a rapid boom category that involves crooks impersonating investigators like those with India's CBI, judges or customs agents to extort victims, in addition to standard concerns around phishing and bank or government impersonation. 

A subtler concern, for India’s government anyway, is “traceability.” 

At present, say officials, an Indian mobile number is a launching pad to determine whether a given suspect is a domestic or international actor, while a username and foreign SIM would leave authorities nowhere to begin. The Department of Telecommunications independently voiced concerns over how the change intersects with its SIM-binding regulations and over WhatsApp's lag time for such requests. The MeitY notice, the legal basis for which, incidentally, is in contention with some digital rights groups, specifically invokes Section 79 of the IT Act and various IT Rules from 2021 and provisions on identity theft and impersonation that target individual criminals rather than the tech tools. Not everyone, however, shares MeitY’s reading of the legal ground: the Internet Freedom Foundation says that Section 79 “deal with liability of intermediary” and “does not confer on the government power to license the features of a product,” while arguing the relevant criminal statutes were designed to criminalize impersonators, not tech platforms whose services are misused, echoing concerns that killed a similar government advisement about AI models last spring. 

In the meantime, Meta says usernames are unavailable in the country for now and the multilayered safeguards it designed were always intended for exactly this level of risk.

Conclusion 

WhatsApp's username feature is neither a total privacy upgrade nor a major security problem; instead, it reallocates risk, reducing phone number exposure while adding a risk of identity spoofing and misuse. Whether it pays off will hinge on the strength of Meta's crackdown on fraudulent usernames, the uptake of extra security features like the username key and whether the company can adequately satisfy regulatory concerns about traceability and user safety. Until all those questions are fully settled, users may want to use the feature tentatively, secure a desired username, enable any other protections and be watchful about new contacts.

References

1. https://blog.whatsapp.com/its-time-to-reserve-your-whatsapp-username
2. https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/whatsapp-usernames-why-indias-top-creators-fear-scams-impersonation-and-identity-theft-540359-2026-07-02
3. https://www.outlookindia.com/national/outlook-explains-why-is-the-indian-government-worried-about-whatsapp-usernames
4. https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/29/whatsapp-now-lets-you-reserve-usernames/
5. https://bestmediainfo.com/mediainfo/mediainfo-digital/whatsapp-says-username-feature-not-live-yet-after-meity-asks-meta-to-pause-rollout-12124813 

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Executive Summary 
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A video is being widely shared on social media claiming that a leopard dragged away a passenger from a moving train. Several users are circulating the clip as a real incident. However, CyberPeace Research Wing  research  found the claim to be false. Our research  revealed that the viral video is not real and was generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

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Claim

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An X user (formerly Twitter) shared the viral clip with the caption:“A leopard snatched a man from a moving train.”The link, archived version, and screenshot of the post are provided below.

• https://x.com/SandeshChaturv8/status/2059457529739194454 

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Fact Check

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On closely examining the video, several visual inconsistencies were noticed. The leopard’s body appears distorted at multiple points in the clip. In some frames, parts of the animal’s body seem to merge into the background, while in others, sections appear incomplete or disappear entirely — something not typically seen in authentic footage. In the final part of the video, where the leopard is allegedly shown attacking a passenger, the person’s hands, limbs, and body also appear blurred and distorted. Additionally, unusual and selective blurring can be observed throughout the video, indicating possible editing or AI manipulation.

To further verify the clip, we scanned the viral video using the AI detection tool Sightengine. According to the results, the video showed an 86 percent probability of being AI-generated.

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As part of the research , we also analysed the clip using another AI detection platform, UndetectableTM AI, which likewise indicated that the viral video was AI-generated.

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Conclusion

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Our research  found that the viral video claiming to show a leopard dragging away a passenger from a moving train is fake. The clip is AI-generated and does not depict a real incident.

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Introduction

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As the calendar pages turn inexorably towards 2024, a question looms large on the horizon of our collective consciousness: Are we cyber-resilient? This is not a rhetorical flourish but a pragmatic inquiry, as the digital landscape we navigate is fraught with cyberattacks and disruptions that threaten to capsize our virtual vessels.

What, then, is Cyber Resilience? It is the capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from these cyber squalls. Picture, if you will, a venerable oak amid a howling gale. The roots, those unseen sinews, delve deep into the earth, anchoring the tree – this is preparation. The robust trunk and flexible branches, swaying yet unbroken, embody response. And the new growth that follows the storm's rage is recovery. Cyber resilience is the digital echo of this natural strength and flexibility.

The Need for Resilience

Why, you might ask, is Cyber Resilience of such paramount importance as we approach 2024? The answer lies in the stark reality of our times:

• A staggering half of businesses have been breached by cyberattacks in the past three years.
• The financial haemorrhage from these incursions is projected to exceed a mind-numbing $10 trillion by the end of 2024.
• The relentless march of technology has not only brought innovation but also escalated the arms race against cyber threats.
• Cyber resilience transcends mere cybersecurity; it is a holistic approach that weaves recovery and continuity into the fabric of digital defenses.
• The adaptability of organisations, often through measures such as remote working protocols, is a testament to the evolving strategies of cyber resilience.

• The advent of AI and Machine Learning heralds a new era of automated cyber defense, necessitating an integrated framework that marries security with continuity protocols.
• Societal awareness, particularly of social engineering tactics, and maintaining public relations during crises are now recognised as critical elements of resilience strategies.
• Cyber threats have evolved in sophistication, paralleling the intense competition to develop new AI-driven solutions.
• As we gaze towards the future, cyber resilience is expected to be a prominent trend in both business and consumer technology sectors throughout 2024.

The Virtues 

The benefits of cyber resilience for organisations are manifold, offering a bulwark against the digital onslaught:

• A reduction in the risk of data breaches, safeguarding sensitive information and customer data.
• Business continuity, ensuring operations persist with minimal disruption.
• Protection of reputation, as companies that demonstrate effective cyber resilience engender trust.
• Compliance with data protection and privacy regulations, thus avoiding fines and legal entanglements.
• Financial stability, as the costs associated with breaches can be mitigated or even prevented.
• Enhanced customer trust, as clients feel more secure with companies that take cybersecurity seriously.
• A competitive advantage in a market rife with cyber threats.
• Innovation and agility, as cyber-resilient companies can pivot and adapt without fear of digital disruptions.
• Employee confidence, leading to improved morale and productivity.
• Long-term savings by sidestepping the expenses of frequent or major cyber incidents.

As the year wanes, it is a propitious moment to evaluate your organisation's cyber resilience. In this edition, we will guide you through the labyrinth of cyber investment buy-in, tailored discussions with stakeholders, and the quintessential security tools for your 2024 cybersecurity strategy.

How to be more Resilient 

Cyber resilience is more than a shield; it is the preparedness to withstand and recover from a cyber onslaught. Let us explore the key steps to fortify your digital defenses:

• Know your risks: Map the terrain where you are most vulnerable, identify the treasures that could be plundered, and fortify accordingly.
• Get the technology right: Invest in solutions that not only detect threats with alacrity but also facilitate rapid recovery, all the while staying one step ahead of the cyber brigands.
• Involve your people: Embed cybersecurity awareness into the fabric of every role. Train your crew in the art of recognising and repelling digital dangers.
• Test your strategies: Regularly simulate incidents to stress-test your policies and procedures, honing your ability to contain and neutralise threats.
• Plan for the worst: Develop a playbook so that everyone knows their part in the grand scheme of damage control and communication in the event of a breach.
• Continually review: The digital seas are ever-changing; adjust your sails accordingly. Cyber resilience is not a one-time endeavour but a perpetual commitment.

Conclusion 

As we stand on the precipice of 2024, let us not be daunted by the digital storms that rage on the horizon. Instead, let us embrace the imperative of cyber resilience, for it is our steadfast companion in navigating the treacherous waters of the cyber world. Civil Society Organizations such as ‘CyberPeace Foundation’ playing a crucial role in promoting cyber resilience by bridging the gap between the public and cybersecurity complexities, conducting awareness campaigns, and advocating for robust policies to safeguard collective digital interests. Their active role is imperative in fostering a culture of cyber hygiene and vigilance.

References 

• https://www.loginradius.com/blog/identity/cybersecurity-trends-2024/
• https://ciso.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/ciso-strategies/cisos-guide-to-2024-top-10-cybersecurity-trends/106293196