#FactCheck - Deepfake Alert: Virat Kohli's Alleged Betting App Endorsement Exposed

Introduction
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" सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः " May all be happy, may all be free from suffering. This timeless invocation reflects a vision of collective well-being, where progress is meaningful only when shared, and protection extends to every individual in society. This very philosophy lies at the heart of Corporate Social Responsibility, which seeks to ensure that growth is not isolated or unequal, but inclusive, ethical, and mindful of the broader social good.  

At its core, Corporate Social Responsibility is not merely a statutory obligation, it is a reflection of a deeper ethical commitment, an acknowledgement that growth must carry with it a sense of duty towards society. In many ways, CSR embodies the idea that progress without responsibility is incomplete, and that corporations, as key actors shaping modern life, must help safeguard the very communities they engage with.
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Reframing Digital Literacy Through Cyber Safety in CSR Frameworks
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In India, this moral vision has been given a legal structure under the Companies Act, 2013, CSR Schedule VII, which mandates certain classes of companies to allocate a portion of their profits towards socially beneficial activities. Section 135 of the Act requires companies meeting specified financial thresholds to undertake CSR initiatives, guided by principles of inclusivity, sustainability, and social welfare. The underlying values are clear, CSR is intended not as charity, but as a strategic and accountable contribution to societal development.

Schedule VII of the Act further outlines the broad areas that qualify as CSR, including “Education and Digital Literacy”, gender equality, rural development, and measures for reducing inequalities. Within this framework, promoting “digital literacy” has increasingly been recognised as a legitimate and necessary CSR activity, especially in the context of a rapidly digitising society like India.

However, the current understanding of digital literacy within CSR remains incomplete. It often emphasises access and usage, teaching individuals how to navigate digital platforms, use devices, and engage with online services. What remains insufficiently addressed is the question of safety. In an environment where cyber fraud, data breaches, online harassment, and identity theft are becoming increasingly common, digital literacy without cyber awareness risks becoming a partial and potentially harmful intervention.

Embedding cyber awareness and capacity building within ‘digital literacy’ in explicit form is therefore not optional, it is essential. This includes equipping individuals with the ability to recognise online threats, protect personal data, understand digital consent, and respond effectively to cyber risks. It also requires recognising that vulnerable populations, including first-time internet users, women, and marginalised communities, often face disproportionate exposure to cyber harm.

“It is pertinent to note that Cybersecurity awareness training is relevant to CSR but is not yet consistently implemented as an explicit CSR activity. It is often included indirectly within digital literacy programs, highlighting the need for a more structured, progressive and integrated approach.”

Given this reality, there is a strong case for explicitly recognising cyber awareness as a distinct and integral component of CSR activities, rather than treating it as an implicit subset of digital literacy. Doing so would not only align CSR with contemporary societal risks but also ensure that corporate interventions move beyond enabling access to actively ensuring safety.

In a digital society, empowerment without protection is incomplete. If CSR is to truly reflect its foundational values, it must evolve to address not just the opportunities of the digital age, but also its risks.
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Why Cyber Safety Must Be Central to CSR
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The current state of digital ecosystems, which used to operate as secondary systems, now functions as essential systems that support government operations, banking systems, educational institutions, and social communication. The digital environment has its vulnerabilities, which create direct dangers for people in society. The elderly, first-time internet users, and rural communities face higher cyber threat risks because they often lack knowledge and protective resources on responsible use. The implementation of CSR initiatives that provide digital access to these groups, along with how to handle risks, will create greater benefit for their safety. Organisations must encourage the implementation of cyber safety training in their CSR programs because doing so will create value while fulfilling their ethical obligations. The empowerment process needs to achieve complete success, which protects people from any potential dangers according to the "do no harm" principle.
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Key Components of CyberPeace-Aligned Digital Literacy
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To make CSR initiatives more effective and future-ready, organisations should incorporate the following elements into their digital literacy programs:

1. Cyber Awareness and Risk Recognition: The training program teaches participants how to recognise typical security threats, which include phishing attacks and scams, deepfake technology and misinformation.
2. Data Protection and Privacy Literacy: The program teaches users how to protect their personal information, together with the process of giving consent and the methods used to handle their online presence. 
3. Responsible Digital Behaviour: The program teaches people how to use the internet responsibly by showing them how to make ethical decisions that require both respect and accountability while understanding the legal consequences of their actions. 
4. Incident Response and Reporting Mechanisms: The program teaches users about cyber incident response, which includes all reporting methods and available support resources. 
5. Inclusion-Focused Design: The program develops specific solutions which protect various demographic groups from their particular vulnerabilities while maintaining accessibility and essential programmatic relevance.

Policy and Institutional Alignment
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The integration of cyber safety into corporate social responsibility lets organisations achieve their national objectives, which include:

• Strengthening digital trust and resilience
• Supporting safe digital inclusion initiatives
• Complementing the efforts of institutions working on cybersecurity awareness and capacity building

The structured approach requires organisations to execute three specific steps, which include:

• Partnering with cybersecurity organisations and civil society
• Developing standardised cyber awareness modules
• The organisation will use behavioural change indicators to evaluate its impact instead of relying on access metrics.

The Way Forward
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Digital-era Corporate Social Responsibility needs to transition from its present state of providing access to digital resources toward establishing secure online platforms for users. The understanding of digital literacy needs to shift from its current status as a technical ability toward its new definition as a social competency that encompasses safety, responsibility and resilience training.

Companies need to understand their digital transformation obligations because their digital transformation efforts require them to handle all associated risks. The implementation of cyber safety within corporate social responsibility frameworks will enable organisations to develop a secure and trustworthy digital environment that includes all users.

Conclusion
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The implementation of corporate social responsibility needs to fulfil its core mission of creating societal benefits through inclusive practices that span all current digital possibilities and their associated security threats. The field of digital literacy requires a new framework that combines digital safety practices with its existing educational materials.

The digital safety practice ensures that people obtain essential knowledge and skills that enable them to use digital resources securely when they access online content. The process of accomplishing shared community prosperity needs to establish a framework that benefits every person through social advancement and the protection of their rights.
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References
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• https://upload.indiacode.nic.in/schedulefile?aid=AC_CEN_22_29_00008_201318_1517807327856&rid=79
• https://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/2025/vol11issue4/PartF/11-5-60-511.pdf
• https://www.unesco.org/en/dtc-finance-toolkit-factsheets/corporate-social-responsibility-csr
• https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-social-responsibility.asp
• https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/corporate-16-brands-doing-corporate-social-responsibility-successfully
• https://www.imd.org/blog/sustainability/csr-strategy/

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Executive Summary:

A video of actor Salman Khan is being widely shared on social media with the claim that he posted a special video on the occasion of Eid. However, a research by the CyberPeace found the claim to be misleading. The viral video is not recent but dates back to 2019. Meanwhile, Salman Khan did share a different video with his family this year.

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Claim:

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On Facebook, a user shared the viral video on March 21, 2026, with the caption ,“Salman Khan shared a special video on Eid.”

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Post link and archive link:

• https://www.facebook.com/reel/1475246294064541 
• https://archive.ph/arWFn 

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Fact Check

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To verify the claim, we examined Salman Khan’s social media accounts. On his Instagram handle, we found a video posted on March 21, 2026, in which he is seen greeting fans from a bulletproof balcony along with his family on the occasion of Eid.
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• https://www.instagram.com/p/DWJiHiliE-W/ 

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This video is completely different from the viral clip and has no connection to it. Further, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. During the research, we found the same video on Salman Khan’s Instagram account, where it was originally posted on June 5, 2019.

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Post link:
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https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVMS6alo76/?igsh=MTA3ZDBqdGlidmRhMQ%3D%3D 
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Conclusion:

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The viral claim is misleading. The video being shared is not recent but from 2019. Salman Khan did share a video this year, but it is different from the one going viral.

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Introduction

The global food industry is vast and complex, influencing consumer behaviour, policy, and health outcomes worldwide. However, misinformation within this sector is pervasive, with significant consequences for public health and market dynamics. Misinformation can arise from various sources, including misleading marketing campaigns, unsubstantiated health claims, and misrepresentation of food production practices through public endorsement or otherwise. Nutrition misinformation is one such example. The promotion of false or unproven products for profit can lead to mislead consumers and affect their interests. Misleading claims and inaccurate information about the nutritional value of food products and processes are common claims. The misinformation created about food on the global stage distorts public understanding of nutrition, food safety, and environmental impacts, leading to significant consequences for public health, consumer trust, and the economy.

Rise of Nutritional Misinformation and Consumer Distrust

Health and nutrition-related misinformation is one of the most prevalent types in the food sector. Businesses frequently advertise their products as "natural" or "healthy" without providing sufficient data to back up these claims, tricking customers into buying goods that might be heavy in fat, sugar, or salt. Words like "superfood" are frequently used without supporting evidence from science, giving the impression that they are healthier.

Misinformation also impacts the sustainability and ethics of food production. Claims of "sustainable" or "ethical" sourcing are frequently exaggerated or fabricated, leaving consumers unaware of the true environmental and social costs associated with certain products.

This lack of clarity is not only observed in general food trends but also within organisations meant to provide trustworthy information. There has been significant criticism, directed at the International Food Information Council (IFIC), for their alleged promotion of nutrition-based misinformation to safeguard the interests of large food corporations, resulting in potentially compromising public health. The preemptive claims that IFIC made about the nutritive claims have been questioned by the National Institutes of Health, USA in November 2022. They reported in their study that IFIC promotes food and beverage company interests and undermines the accurate dissemination of scientific evidence related to diet and health. This was in support of the objective of the study, which was to determine whether, there have been many claims that the nutritional value of certain foods or diets may be manipulated to favour business goals, leaving consumers misinformed about what constitutes a truly healthy diet.

Another source of misinformation is the growing ‘Free-From’ fad. The “free-from” label in the US is a food category of products that claim to be free from certain ingredients or chemicals. It has been steadily growing by 7% annually. These labels often tout products as healthier due to a simpler ingredient list. Although seemingly harmless, transparency in ingredient disclosure is often obscured in the 'free-from' trend. This can lead to consumer distrust in the long run, making them hesitant.

The Harmful Effects of Food Misinformation

The effects of misinformation about nutrition and food safety can directly affect public health.
Consumers unknowingly may accept false claims or avoid certain foods without scientific basis and adopt harmful dietary habits, potentially leading to malnutrition or other health problems. By the time the realisation sets in about being misled, their trust is eroded not only towards such companies but also towards the regulators. This distrust can lead to declining consumer confidence and disrupt market stability. 

Some food-related misinformation downplays the environmental impact that certain food production practices have. An example of such a situation is the promotion of meat alternatives as being entirely eco-friendly without considering all environmental factors. This can mislead consumers and obscure the complex environmental effects of food production systems. 

Misinformation can distort consumer purchasing habits, potentially leading to a reduced demand for certain products and unfair competition. The sufferers in this case are the small-scale producers who suffer disproportionately, while the large corporations might use this misinformation to maintain their dominance in the market. Regulatory checks, open communication, and public education campaigns are needed to combat mis/disinformation in the global food sector and enable consumers to make decisions that are sustainable, healthful and informed.

CyberPeace Recommendations

• Unfair trade practices like providing misleading information or unchecked claims on food products should be better addressed by the regulators. Companies must provide clear, transparent and accurate information about their products as mandated under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. This information should include the true origins, production methods, and nutritional content on their labels.
• Promotions of initiatives and investments by public health organisations and food authorities towards educating consumers and improving food literacy should encouraged. 
• Regulating social media endorsement is also crucial to prevent the spread of misinformation and unchecked claims. Without proper due diligence on product details, influencers may unknowingly mislead their audience, causing potential harm. 
• The Social Media Platforms can partner with nutritionists, dietitians, and other health professionals who are content creators, as they can help in understanding and promoting accurate, science-based nutrition information and debunk any misleading claims.
• Campaigns should be encouraged to spread public awareness about the harms of food-related misleading claims or trends. Emphasis should be on evidence-based nutritional guidance. The ongoing research towards food safety, nutrition, and true information should be actively communicated to keep the public informed. Combating food misinformation requires more robust regulations, improved transparency, and heightened consumer awareness and vigilance.

References

• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/label-claims-on-packaged-food-could-be-misleading-icmr/articleshow/110053363.cms 
• https://www.outlookindia.com/hub4business/empowering-change-freedom-food-alliance-takes-on-global-food-industry-misinformation 
• https://insightsnow.com/misinformation-hurting-food-business/ ‍
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9618198/pdf/12992_2022_Article_884.pdf