#FactCheck-Fake Claim Links White House Dinner Shooting Suspect to ‘Indian Wife’; Viral Images Likely AI-Generated

Executive Summary


A video of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thalapathy Vijay is being widely circulated on social media with the claim that he reached Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and participated in an ongoing protest. CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found the viral claim to be misleading. During the research, we found an official clarification issued by the Delhi Police, which clearly refuted the claim and stated that the video was being shared with a false context.

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Claim

A user on social media platform Instagram shared the viral video claiming that Thalapathy Vijay had reached Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and joined a protest there.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/Da-tsmSpC-V/ 

https://archive.ph/submit/?url 

https://www.instagram.com/reels/Da-tsmSpC-V/ 

Fact Check

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To verify the claim, we extracted multiple keyframes from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. During the research, we found a similar image posted on Instagram on May 5, 2026, which contained visuals matching the viral video. The post did not mention any connection with a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DX8cmt6oqP9/ 

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Further research revealed that the first major on-ground protest of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was organised at Jantar Mantar on June 6, 2026. This confirms that the viral video, which is being linked to the CJP protest, is being shared with an incorrect context.

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https://www.indiatoday.in/india/delhi/story/cockroach-janta-party-protest-at-jantar-mantar-against-exam-irregularities-cjp-seeks-education-minister-dharmendra-pradhans-resignation-2922949-2026-06-06?utm_source 

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During further verification, we found a report published by BBC Tamil on May 4, 2026, which carried visuals similar to the viral video. https://www.bbc.com/tamil/articles/c202nd32v5ro 

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According to the BBC report, TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) leader Vijay won from the Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East assembly constituencies during the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The visuals in the viral video are related to Vijay’s political activities in Tamil Nadu and are not from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Additionally, the Delhi Police issued an official clarification stating that the claim linking the video to Jantar Mantar was false.

https://x.com/DCPNewDelhi/status/2078932755023577234?s=20

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Conclusion

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CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found that the viral video of Thalapathy Vijay is not from a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The video is being circulated with a false and misleading claim. The Delhi Police has also officially denied the claim. Users are advised not to share such misleading content without verification.

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Introduction

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Meta has announced that E2EE in Instagram direct messages is ending entirely. Every day, billions of people send messages they consider private. A medical update to a family member. A photograph meant for one person. A conversation they would never have in public. For years, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) was the technology that made that privacy possible: the digital equivalent of a sealed envelope that only the sender and receiver could open. After May 8, 2026, this will change. 

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Understanding the Adoption Gap

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Meta pointed to low user adoption as the reason for this change. Few people were using encrypted messaging on Instagram, the company said, so the feature was not worth keeping. That explanation raises some questions. Encryption was never switched on by default. Users had to find it and turn it on themselves. It was not advertised. And it was only available in certain regions to begin with, something Meta noted on its own Help Centre page. Features that require users to actively seek them out tend to get used far less than those that simply work from the start. WhatsApp demonstrates this clearly; encryption has been on by default since 2016, for every user, with no action required. Back in 2019, Mark Zuckerberg spoke publicly about building privacy into Meta’s messaging platforms as a core direction for the company.  The current decision shows a different vision for the company.

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The Commercial Dimension

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Encrypted message content is not accessible for advertising purposes by design. In December 2025, Meta updated its privacy policy to allow interactions with its Meta AI assistant to inform personalized advertising recommendations across its platforms. With encryption removed from Instagram direct messages, the content of those conversations enters a data environment that already serves Meta’s advertising systems. Meta has not made a direct public statement connecting these two decisions, but technology analysts and privacy researchers have noted the commercial implications of making previously inaccessible message content available within that ecosystem.

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What This Means for Users

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From May 8, 2026, the content of Instagram direct messages will be accessible to Meta’s systems. This includes messages relating to personal matters that users may have previously sent under the assumption of encryption. A related concern is the question of data security. Unencrypted message content stored on platform servers creates a larger surface area of sensitive information that could be exposed in the event of a security breach. As platforms collect and retain greater volumes of personal data, the potential consequences of unauthorised access grow correspondingly. 

But, there is an argument on the other side. Law enforcement agencies and child safety organisations have long maintained that end-to-end encryption limits their ability to detect and act on harmful content. Removing encryption does make certain forms of platform-level content moderation technically feasible where they were not before.

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India’s Supreme Court: The Warning Nobody Heeded

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India’s Supreme Court said it plainly when hearing the case against Meta’s 2021 WhatsApp privacy policy, which forced hundreds of millions of users to accept data sharing with Facebook or lose access entirely. Chief Justice Surya Kant called it “a decent way of committing theft of private information” and asked how ordinary people could meaningfully consent to policies written in language they cannot understand. He made it human with one line: “A poor woman selling fruits on the streets — will she understand the terms of your policy?” The court ordered Meta not to share a single word of user data until the case is resolved. When Meta’s lawyers argued that encryption protects users anyway, the bench pushed back: encryption protects message content, not the metadata surrounding it. Who you talk to, how often, at what time, from where: all of it is still harvested. The Competition Commission’s own advocate summarised the entire arrangement in four words: “We are the products.”

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WhatsApp: A Question Worth Asking

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Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp are three products inside one ecosystem, owned by Meta, serving one business model. Instagram’s encryption is already gone. Is WhatsApp next in line ?

WhatsApp has over 850 million monthly active users in India alone. People do not use it for entertainment, it is how families talk, how businesses run, how essential daily communication happens. It is infrastructure, not an app. Meta acquired it in 2014 promising no ads, no data exploitation. By 2021 that promise was already bending. By 2025 ads appeared in the Status section. Both original co-founders had long since left the company over exactly these concerns. Instagram’s encryption survived until it conflicted with revenue and regulation. WhatsApp’s encryption exists today under the same ownership, the same business model, and the same tightening global regulatory pressure. That is not a reason to panic. It is a reason to pay attention.

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Conclusion

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Encryption is not permanent. It is a design choice, and like any design choice, it can be undone when priorities shift. After May 8, 2026, Instagram direct messages will no longer be protected the way they once were. For most users, this change will pass unnoticed. But the data those conversations contain will now be accessible in ways it previously was not. What platforms do with user data is rarely announced loudly. Paying attention to the quiet changes matters.

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References 

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1. https://help.instagram.com/491565145294150
2. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/18/instagram-to-remove-end-to-end-encryption-for-private-messages-in-may
3. https://www.androidpolice.com/why-meta-is-getting-rid-of-e2ee/
4. https://digitalpolicyalert.org/change/13307
5. https://www.skadden.com/insights/publications/2025/06/take-it-down-act
6. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/you-cant-play-with-right-of-privacy-of-citizens-scs-big-warning-to-whatsapp-meta-over-take-it-or-leave-it-policy/articleshow/127878524.cms#
7. https://proton.me/blog/instagram-end-to-end-encryption
8. https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2018/09/26/exclusive-whatsapp-cofounder-brian-acton-gives-the-inside-story-on-deletefacebook-and-why-he-left-850-million-behind/

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Introduction

On September 27, 2024, the Indian government took a significant step toward enhancing national security by amending business allocation rules through an extraordinary gazette notification. This amendment, which assigns specific roles to different Union Ministries and Departments regarding telecom network security, cybersecurity, and cybercrime, aims to clarify and streamline efforts in these critical areas. With India's evolving cybersecurity landscape, the need for a structured regulatory framework is pressing, as threats grow in complexity. Recent developments, such as the July 2024 global cyber outage and increasing cyber crimes like SMS scams, highlight the urgency of such reforms. Under Article 77 clause (3), the President amended the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, to designate clearer responsibilities, reinforcing India's readiness to tackle emerging digital threats.

Key Highlights of the Gazette Notification

• Telecom Networks Security: A new entry ‘1A’ matters relating to the security of telecom networks" has been added under the Department of Telecommunications, highlighting an increased focus on securing the nation's telecom infrastructure.
• Cyber Security Responsibilities: Cyber security responsibilities have been added as a new entry under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), "5B. This assigns responsibility to MeitY for cybersecurity issues, concerning the Information Technology Act of 2000, giving the ministry the mandate to support other ministries or departments regarding cybersecurity matters.
• Oversight for Cyber Crime: Under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Internal Security, a new entry "36A Matters relating to Cyber Crime" is introduced. This emphasises that the MHA will handle cybercrime issues, highlighting the government's attention toward enhancing internal security against cyber threats.
• Cyber Security Strategic Coordination: Any matter related to the "overall coordination and strategic direction for Cyber Security," has been given to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). This consolidates the role of the NSCS in guiding cybersecurity strategies at the national level.

Impact on Policy and Governance 

The amendments introduced through the notification are poised to significantly enhance the Indian government's cybersecurity framework by clarifying the roles of various ministries. The clear separation of responsibilities, telecom network security to the Department of Telecommunications, cybercrime to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and overall cyber strategy to the National Security Council Secretariat could seen as better coordination between ministries. This clarity is expected to reduce bureaucratic delays, allowing for quicker response times in addressing cyber threats, cybercrimes, and telecom vulnerabilities. Such efficient handling is crucial, especially in the evolving landscape of digital threats. These changes have been largely welcomed as it recognises the potential for improved regulatory oversight and faster policy implementation and a step forward in bolstering India’s cyber resilience. 

Conclusion 

The Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 amendments mark a critical step in strengthening India's cybersecurity framework. By setting out specific responsibilities for telecom network security, cybercrime, and overall cybersecurity strategy among key ministries, the government seeks to improve coordination and reduce bureaucratic delays. This policy shift is poised to enhance India’s digital resilience, providing a foundation for rapid responses to emerging cyber threats. However, success hinges on effective implementation, resource allocation, and collaboration across ministries. Addressing concerns like potential jurisdictional overlap and ensuring the inclusion of bodies like NCIIPC will be pivotal to ensuring comprehensive cyber protection. The complexity of cyber crimes and threats is evolving every day and the government's ability and preparedness to handle them with regulatory insight is a high priority.

References

• https://egazette.gov.in/(S(4r5oclueuwrjypfvr5b4vtzg))/ViewPDF.aspx 
• https://www.ptinews.com/story/national/govt-specifies-roles-on-matters-related-to-security-of-telecom-network-cyber-security-and-cyber-crime/1856627
• https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/centre-to-further-streamline-mechanism-to-deal-with-cyber-security-cyber-crime/article68694330.ece
• https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/policy/govt-specifies-roles-on-matters-related-to-security-of-telecom-network-cyber-security-and-cyber-crime/113754501 

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