South Korean tourist googles India, finds ugly, hazy pics; social media reacts, ‘Western companies make money by…'
He searched with the keyword 'Indo' since that's what people in South Korea call it. The Google search results must be geo-specific as, when we searched Google with the same keyword, we did not find any such photos.
'There is too much disinformation about India on Internet,' wrote a social media user while sharing a video of the revelation.
'Same with YouTube, search for Indian food, and all you get is slum street food clips. These CEOs don't give a damn about India,' remarked one user.
'Western companies make money by degrading India everywhere,' came from another.
Another wrote, 'Indian PR needs an upgrade.'
'What's our tourism minister and information minister doing?' asked one user.
'Doesn't the Indian Embassy in South Korea notice this? Do these IFS officers not do anything in other countries? Then, what's the point of having an embassy?' reacted one social media user.
Another replied, 'What's IFS got to do with Google images?'
One user wrote, 'Judging India based on hazy images on Google is like judging a book by its cover. If you really want to understand India, don't just look with your eyes, feel it with your heart.'
According to another user, such misinformation exists 'because many Indians themselves trash and thrash their country'.
A couple of users from overseas, however, claim the information is correct.
'Misinformation? Goddamns, you guys literally swim in your f**ing pi**,' commented a user apparently from Uzbekistan.
'If you google India, you'll see garbage, barbaric people and pollution. If you go to India, 9 out of 10 of your experience will be garbage, barbaric people and pollution,' came another reply from a foreigner.
One Indian user, however, raises a different issue: 'If India were so great, why does every Indian want to leave the country?'
'He'll find out that it's not just haze in the air, but also sh*t on the ground,' commented another.
Another user referred to Delhi pollution: 'I think he googled India's capital as most of the tourists do when visiting foreign countries.'
Misinformation about India, however, is not only an external issue but an internal threat as well.
According to the World Economic Forum's 2024 Global Risk Report, India was ranked the highest-risk country for misinformation and fake news. Joyojeet Pal, a professor who studies how technology affects democracy in India, says fake news spreads because it is smartly made, easy to believe and goes viral quickly.
In India, people are deeply divided, and many are ready to believe negative news about groups they dislike. Political parties use social media strongly and have trained teams to make content viral.
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