#FactCheck: Old Nepal Gen-Z Protest Video Falsely Linked to ‘Hindu Nation’ Demonstrations
Executive Summary
A video showing protesters and smoke rising from an area is being widely shared on social media with the claim that it depicts violent protests in Nepal over demands to declare the country a Hindu nation. The CyberPeace Research Wing found that the claim is false. The viral video is actually from the Gen-Z protests in Nepal in September 2025 and is unrelated to the recent demands for a Hindu state.
Claim
Following reports of communal violence in Nepal in July 2026, an organisation submitted a memorandum to Home Minister Soodan Gurung, calling for discussions on declaring Nepal a Hindu nation. Against this backdrop, a video showing protesters and smoke has gone viral on social media. A Facebook user, ‘New Buzz’, shared the video on August 5, 2026, with the caption:
"Protests and discussions are being seen in several places in Nepal over the demand for a Hindu nation. People have different views on this issue. One should reach a conclusion only on the basis of official decisions and credible information."
https://www.facebook.com/reel/27872198842449234
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/P89Qo
FactCheck:
To verify the claim, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. The search led us to a post by India Today journalist Marya Shakil on X, dated September 9, 2025. She had shared the same video and identified it as footage from the Gen-Z protests in Nepal against corruption
https://x.com/maryashakil/status/1965364156992782723?s=20
We also found a related news report on the NBC News YouTube channel, published on September 9, 2025. The video report also identified the footage as being from the protests in Nepal..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXnhHoH0XKE
Conclusion
The viral claim is false. The video being shared as footage of violent protests in Nepal over the demand for a Hindu nation actually dates back to the September 2025 Gen-Z protests against corruption. Although an organisation submitted a 13-point memorandum to Nepal's Home Minister following the July 2026 communal violence, including a demand for discussions on declaring Nepal a Hindu nation, the viral video is unrelated to that development.
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Introduction
As the world is being "Digitally Interlaced", cyber security has become a continuous wrangle. The “Gambling industry” is considered an incredibly lucrative mark for cybercriminals, principally due to the enormous quantities of cash on hand and the sensitive details it processes day to day. Cybercriminals may use susceptibilities in gambling scaffolds to achieve financial scams or launder unlawful funds. An analysis by Security Scorecard discovered that the online gambling industry was ranked third in the possibility of encountering a cyber attack, following the energy and financial services sectors. Similarly, Online gambling is a bending matter that demands meticulous contemplation by policymakers and nationals. The incredible rise of online gambling has led to a terse acclivity in unlawful activities such as online scams, fraud, etc. Also, online sports gambling has become a thriving endeavour in contemporary years as millions of people are putting stakes and gambles on their electronic devices.
The Challenges
Online gambling has thus become a widespread frolicking for numerous youngsters, with the industry tossed to be worth billions of dollars in the forthcoming decades. The prominent cyber security challenges in the gambling industry are money laundering, financial laundering, ransomware, personal information theft, data breaches, distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), system disruptions and Insider perils and employee malfeasance. Challenges of online gambling also include being properly not regulated and a lack of social interaction with near and dear ones. The spread of Internet gambling has presented many problems affecting consumer behaviour online, motivations to gamble, problem gambling, security of websites, and the righteousness and virtue of the games. The rise of online gambling among young people due to the lack of clear regulations has likewise produced an abundant backdrop for financial ruination.
Web games and betting are among the fastest-evolving areas of the Internet. Over the past several years, there has been an international flare-up in online gambling, permitting customers to play from the convenience of home, work, and public locations. Numerous offshore betting websites and apps usually permit parties to win in the start with sound returns, whereas after the user gets addicted and invests considerable sums, they either keep failing or have the website refuse to cash out the winnings. Also, the information demonstrates that online games have been employed to commit wrongdoings (Child sexual exploitive material, religious conversion, cyberbullying, fraud, betting in virtual online casinos, etc.)
India's laws and regulations surrounding online gambling are complex and constantly evolving. While the legal framework is not entirely clear, a few state in India have their own set of rules.
Recently In April 2023, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”), by virtue of the rule-making powers available to the central government under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (“IT Act 2000”), implemented a new central legal framework for online gaming through amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules 2021”). These amendments (“Online Gaming Rules”) propose a light-touch, co-regulatory regime whereby MeitY-recognised, independent self-regulatory bodies (“SRB”) will verify whether an “online real-money game” is to be made available to the general public or not – in accordance with the baseline criteria prescribed by the Online Gaming Rules.
The Online Gaming Rules attempt to regulate online gaming platforms by treating them as an “online gaming intermediary” (“OGI”) and prescribing intermediary due diligence obligations for them under the IT Rules 2021. An OGI has been defined in the Online Gaming Rules as “any intermediary that enables the users of its computer resource to access one or more online games”. Under the Online Gaming Rules, an online game can be a “permissible online game” if (i) it is not an online real-money game, or (ii) it is an online real-money game but is “verified” by an SRB in accordance with the baseline criteria prescribed by the Online Gaming Rules and any additional criteria prescribed by the SRB itself.
Global Perspective
The global gaming industry worth over US$227 billion in 2022 is further projected to grow to US$312 billion by 2027. Several countries have set regulatory frameworks about online gaming, though these are skewed, concentrating mainly on gambling and circumventing numerous of the more typical cyber threats. The US spends about $60 billion annually on online gambling and sports betting. In Europe, gambling is an even larger moneymaker. Also, numerous countries in Europe, like the UK, have legalised gambling. Nevertheless, it is prohibited for a US based company to operate an online gambling site. Yet, sports betting online is permitted in some states.
Today, though the gaming market has been overpowered by China and the US, future growth in the sector is anticipated to come from emerging economies like India with increasing populations. The permitted status of online gambling in India is nonetheless imprecise, vamoosing space for exploitation by cyber criminals and disarray for players involved. One of the climactic points that ought to be addressed is the sudden upsurge of online games, which increases gambling. Skill-based games such as poker, rummy etc., have additionally been developed to circumvent the legal definition of gambling in India. The recent instances of the online gaming industry not being properly regulated have also come to light in India. For instance, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is still investigating the vast Mahadev Online Betting scandal, exposing an unknown money laundering method using Unified Payment Interface (UPI) IDs. Also, the Cyber Cell in Agra has taken proactive action against copyright violations, illegal online gambling and betting activities, shutting down 27 Illegal cricket betting sites in major operations, safeguarding several lakhs of Indians with thousands of crores from being transferred to overseas shores principally China.
Consequently, though India has announced new regulations on online gaming, its contemporary policy framework cannot contend with the problems endangering this sector. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 makes it unlawful to use a public gambling house or to be seen in one. Nevertheless, the act does not explicitly cite online gambling, leading to further interpretation. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has released a further awareness campaign for offshore illegal gambling apps, notifying users to be mindful of foreign apps as they may be fraudulent and might induce monetary damage to the user. Also, state laws control gambling in India with each state having its own directive on the subject. Yet, the Supreme Court of India has maintained that skilled games are not gambling and are thus legal. Furthermore, the Information Technology (IT) Act, of 2000 does not precisely handle online gambling or games that enable gambling.
Today, developers have strived for new ways to monetise the growing popularity of online gaming, which oversaw the creation of in-game currencies that can be bought using actual money, usually through credit cards. Several nations have prohibited the usage of in-game currency and loot boxes, considering them a kind of online gambling. The in-game currency has thus caused much disagreement about becoming a state of hunting monetisation by developers, especially targeting minor or newbie players. The gambling industry, therefore, faces unique cybersecurity challenges that require a comprehensive and proactive approach to cybersecurity.
Conclusion
Presently, there are approximately 3.09 billion active video game players worldwide, and the number is expected to reach 3.32 billion by 2024 as of 2023. In the contemporary digital era, information is priceless, and encryption acts as a necessary means to safeguard it. Thus, Regulators are working to maintain the swiftness of shift in the industry, as the dearth of transparency in the law has made it challenging to implement regulations. There is also less awareness about cyber security in India due to the following grounds such as the lack of ethical hackers in the country, companies in India lacking focus on cyber security and hiring a team of ethical hackers and cyber security experts. Furthermore, there has been a lack of knowledge among the citizens as well.
It is essential to realise the conceivable social and economic consequences and take measures to handle the online gambling industry. The industry has thus been undersized in the mode of research following online crime and Internet gambling, even though it is an acute emphasis. There is also a pressing necessity to rebuild these regulations to tackle the more unbridled cyber security hazards swarming the gaming industry. Similarly, there is an urgent need for governments and policymakers around the world to start paying more attention to the gaming industry as cyber security threats continue to rise. There should be a further need to strengthen the regulatory framework, establish Self Regulatory Organizations (SROs), create ethical gaming designs and increase awareness among gamers. The Government of India should consider devising its own rating system to rate games so that players under 18 cannot access them.
Eventually, cyber security is a shared commitment, and everyone in the online gambling ecosystem must function jointly to provide a secure and safe setting for all.
References:
- https://truefort.com/gambling-industry-cybersecurity/
- https://www.orfonline.org/research/cybersecurity-threats-in-online-gaming-learnings-for-india
- https://www.hackread.com/chinese-scammers-cloned-websites-gambling-network/
- https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/cybersecurity-threats-from-online-gaming/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/legal-considerations-online-gambling-india-sudden-increase-mathur/
- https://www.jsheld.com/insights/articles/the-importance-of-cybersecurity-in-the-online-sports-betting-industry
- https://www.the420.in/agra-cyber-cell-takes-down-27-illegal-betting-sites/
- https://g2g.news/gaming/ministry-of-home-affairs-releases-new-awareness-campaign-for-online-gaming-in-india/
- https://smestreet.in/technology/kaspersky-warns-of-increased-phishing-scams-and-data-breaches-in-apac-for-2024-2381601
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/newsletters/morning-dispatch/govt-bans-mahadev-other-illegal-betting-apps-cyber-attacks-against-india-spike/articleshow/104996017.cms?from=mdr
- https://cipher.com/cybersecurity-for-gambling/
- https://www.mangalorean.com/tightening-the-reins-indian-government-blocks-over-550-illegal-betting-and-gambling-apps/
- https://cybersecurityasean.com/news-press-releases/kaspersky-predicts-rise-cyber-threats-across-apac-2024
- https://www.cnbctv18.com/technology/mahadev-betting-app-scam-ed-money-laundering-upi-celebrities-under-scanner-17815661.htm
- https://iclg.com/practice-areas/gambling-laws-and-regulations/india
Executive Summary:
A video is circulating on social media claiming to be footage of the aftermath of Iran's missile strikes on Israel. The video shows destruction, damaged infrastructure, and panic among civilian casualties. After our own digital verification, visual inspection, and frame-by-frame inspection, we have determined that the video is fake. The video is just AI-generated clips and not related to any incident.
Claim:
The viral video claims that a recent military strike by Iran resulted in the destruction of parts of Israel, following an initial missile attack launched by Iran. The footage appears current and depicts significant destruction of buildings and widespread chaos in the streets.
FACT CHECK:
We conducted our research on the viral video to determine if it was AI-generated. During the research we broke the video into individual still frames, and upon closely examining the frames, several of the visuals he showed us had odd-shaped visual features, abnormal body proportions, and flickering movements that don't occur in real footage. We took several still frames and checked them in image search sites to see if they had appeared before. The search results revealed that several clips in the video had appeared previously, in separate and unrelated circumstances, which indicates that they are neither recent nor original.
While examining the Instagram profile, we noticed that the account frequently shares visually dramatic AI content that appears digitally created. Many earlier posts from the same page include scenes that are unrealistic, such as wrecked aircraft in desolate areas or buildings collapsing in unnatural ways. In the current video, for instance, the fighter jets shown have multiple wings, which is not technically or aerodynamically possible in real life. The profile’s bio, which reads "Resistance of Artificial Intelligence," suggests that the page intentionally focuses on sharing AI-generated or fictional content.
We also ran the viral post through Tenorshare.AI for Deep-Fake detection, and the result came 94% AI. All findings resulting from our research established that the video is synthetic and unrelated to any event occurring in Israel, and therefore debunked a false narrative propagated on social media.
Conclusion:
Our research found that the video is fake and contains AI-generated images and is not related to any real missile strike or destruction occurring in Israel. The source is specific to fuel the panic and misinformation in a context of already-heightened geopolitical tension. We call on viewers not to share this unverified information and to rely on trusted sources. When there are sensitive international developments, the dissemination of fake imagery can promote fear, confusion, and misinformation on a global scale.
- Claim: Real Footage of Iran’s Missile Strikes on Israel
- Claimed On: Social Media
- Fact Check: False and Misleading
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
