#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.
Related Blogs
Amid reports of widespread protests in Iran over the past two weeks, a video showing protesters setting cars on fire is being widely shared on social media with claims that it depicts recent unrest in the country.
However, research by Cyber Peace Foundation has found the viral claim to be false. Our resarch shows that the video is not from Iran, but from violent protests that took place near the Turkish Consulate in Thessaloniki, Greece, on November 1, 2025.
Claim:
On January 11, 2026, users on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) shared the viral video claiming it showed massive anti-regime protests in Iran. One such post alleged:
“1.5–1.85 million Iranians are fighting on the streets tonight. 180 cities are burning… The revolution has spread. Iranians have decided to continue this fight for freedom until Iran becomes free from Islamic rule.”
The post’s link and archived version can be seen below: (Link and archive link)
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and conducted a Google Reverse Image Search. During this process, we found the same video uploaded on Instagram on November 2, 2025, well before the recent protests in Iran. (Link): https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQjRtCOjOPM/
Further analysis revealed that the video was uploaded from a Greek Instagram account, indicating that the visuals are unrelated to Iran.
It is important to note that while protests in Iran have been ongoing for the past two weeks, the viral video has been circulating on the internet since early November 2025, establishing a clear timeline mismatch.
A keyword search led us to a report published on November 2, 2025, by Ekathimerini, a leading Greek media outlet. The report detailed violent clashes that erupted in Thessaloniki following a concert by Greek rapper Lex.
According to the report:
Police in Thessaloniki detained 18 people and arrested one individual on drug-related charges. The unrest began when a group attacked police forces stationed outside the Turkish Consulate. During the clashes, six cars were damaged, two of them completely burned, along with a garbage bin. ( report link and screenshot)
In the next stage of the investigation, we found similar visuals to the viral video on a YouTube channel named “Taifer”, where the footage was published on November 2, 2025. The link to the post and its screenshot can be seen below.
(YouTube link): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TejETjQRmTQ
To strengthen our findings, we conducted a geolocation analysis of the video. By comparing road layouts, surrounding buildings, light poles, and other visual markers with online maps and images, we confirmed that the location shown in the video matches Agios Dimitriou Street in Thessaloniki, Greece.
(Location link)
Our research clearly establishes that the viral video being shared as footage of recent protests in Iran is misleading. The video actually shows violent demonstrations near the Turkish Consulate in Thessaloniki, Greece, on November 1, 2025, and has no connection to the current situation in Iran.
Introduction
Google is committed to supporting the upcoming elections in India by providing high-quality information to voters, safeguarding platforms from abuse, and helping people navigate AI-generated content. Google will connect voters to helpful information through enhanced features, collaborating with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to provide voting information in both English and Hindi. Emphasis is also placed on showcasing authoritative information on YouTube. YouTube will highlight authoritative news sources and offer context on topics prone to misinformation. YouTube also appends information panels directing viewers to the Election Commission of India's FAQs. This support will help millions of eligible voters navigate the electoral process and ensure a fair and transparent election process.
Key Highlights of Google’s Approach
The step taken by Google will support the democratic process during the upcoming General Election in India. The initiative focuses on three main pillars: disseminating information, tackling misinformation, and navigating AI-generated content. Google is enhancing its Search and YouTube features to provide essential election-related information, including voter registration, polling guidelines, and candidate profiles. Google is also addressing the challenges posed by AI-generated content by offering clarity on content origins, particularly for election-related ads and YouTube videos. Google has strict policies and restrictions regarding who can run election-related advertising on its platforms, including identity verification, pre-certificates, and in-ad disclosures. Additionally, Google is utilising tools and policies like Ads disclosures, content labels on YouTube, and digital watermarking to help users to identify AI-generated content.
Google has joined hands with ECI
The tech giant Google is partnering with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to provide voting information on Google Search in both English and Hindi. YouTube will feature election information panels, including candidate profiles and registration guidelines, ensuring users have access to authoritative sources. Google's recommendation system will display content from trusted publishers on election-related topics. Protecting the integrity of elections is a top priority, and the company is employing advanced AI models and machine learning techniques to identify and remove content that violates its policies at scale. A dedicated team of local experts across major Indian languages is assigned to provide relevant context and ensure swift action against emerging threats. Google is also tightening up who can advertise on its platforms, requiring advertisers to undergo an identity verification process and obtain a pre-certificate from the ECI or authorised entities for each election ad they wish to run.
Tackling Electoral Misinformation
Google is enhancing its platform security measures to prevent misinformation. It is using AI models and human expertise to identify and address policy violations, while stringent verification processes and disclosures are being implemented to maintain user trust.
Collaborations to promote reliable information
Google is supporting the Shakti, India Election Fact-Checking Collective, a consortium of news publishers and fact checkers to detect online misinformation, including deepfakes. The project will provide news entities and fact checkers with essential training in fact-checking methodologies, deepfake detection, and the latest Google tools to streamline verification processes, as stated in Google’s blog post.
Conclusion
Google has taken proactive steps to ensure a secure electoral process during the upcoming general elections in India. These include preventing the misuse of false information by helping voters navigate AI-generated content and safeguarding its platforms from abuse. Google India has built faster and more adaptable enforcement systems with recent advances in its Large Language Models (LLMs), enabling the company to remain nimble and take action quickly when new threats emerge. Google is dedicated to collaborating with government, industry, and civil society to provide voters with reliable and trustworthy online information. Google is implementing a comprehensive strategy to empower voters, safeguard its platforms, and combat misinformation in India's upcoming general elections. Google’s step is commendable and aims to ensure a secure electoral process, empowering millions of citizens to exercise their democratic rights.
References:
- https://blog.google/intl/en-in/company-news/outreach-initiatives/supporting-the-2024-indian-general-election/
- https://inc42.com/buzz/following-gemini-row-google-strengthens-checks-on-ai-generated-content-before-elections/#:~:text=In%20an%20effort%20to%20ensure,safeguarding%20its%20platforms%20from%20abuse
- https://www.indiatvnews.com/technology/news/google-introduces-enhanced-tools-for-supporting-elections-in-india-2024-03-12-921096
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/google-ties-up-with-eci-to-prevent-spread-of-false-information/articleshow/108431021.cms?from=mdr
- https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/google-joins-hands-with-election-commission-of-india-to-help-voters-via-search-youtube-421112-2024-03-12
- https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/google-2024-general-elections-support-9209588/
Introduction
The banking and finance sector worldwide is among the most vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. Moreover, traditional threats such as DDoS attacks, ransomware, supply chain attacks, phishing, and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are becoming increasingly potent with the growing adoption of AI. It is crucial for banking and financial institutions to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to their cybersecurity posture, something that is possible only through a systematic approach to security. In this context, the Reserve Bank of India’s latest Financial Stability Report (June 2025) acknowledges that cybersecurity risks are systemic to the sector, particularly the securities market, and have to be treated as such.
What the Financial Stability Report June 2025 Says
The report notes that the increasing scale of digital financial services, cloud-based architecture, and interconnected systems has expanded the cyberattack surface across sectors. It calls for building cybersecurity resilience by improving Security Operations Center (SOC) efficacy, undertaking “risk-based supervision”, implementing “zero-trust approaches”, and “AI-aware defense strategies”. It also recommends the implementation of graded monitoring systems, employing behavioral analytics for threat detection, building adequate skill through hands-on training, engaging in continuous learning and simulation-based exercises like Continuous Assessment-Based Red Teaming (CART), conducting scenario-based resilience drills, and establishing consistent incident reporting frameworks. In addition, it suggests that organizations need to adopt quantifiable benchmarks like SOC Efficacy and Cyber Capability Index to guarantee efficient governance and readiness.
Implications
Firstly, even though the report doesn’t break new ground in identifying cyber risk, it does sharpen its urgency and lays the groundwork for giving more weight to cybersecurity in macroprudential supervision. In the face of emerging threats, it positions cyberattacks as a systemic financial risk that can affect India’s financial stability with the same seriousness as traditional threats like NPAs and capital inadequacy.
Secondly, by calling to “ensure cyber resilience”, it reflects the RBI’s dedication to values-based compliance to cybersecurity policies where effectiveness and adaptability matter more than box-ticking. This approach caters to an organisation’s/ sector’s unique nature, governance requirements, and updates to rising risks. It checks not only if certain measures were used, but also if they were effective, through constant self-assessment, scenario-based training, cyber drills, dynamic risk management, and value-driven audits. In the face of a rapidly expanding digital transactions ecosystem with integration of new technologies such as AI, this approach is imperative to building cyber resilience. The RBI’s report suggests exactly this need for banks and NBFCs to update its parameters for resilience.
Conclusion
While the RBI’s 2016 guidelines focus on core cybersecurity concerns and has issued guidelines on IT governance, outsourcing, and digital payment security, none explicitly codify “AI-aware,” “zero-trust,” or a full “risk-based supervision” mechanism. The more recent emphasis on these concepts comes from the 2025 Financial Stability Report, which uses them as forward-looking policy orientations. How the RBI chooses to operationalize these frameworks is yet to be seen. Further, RBI’s vision cannot operate in a silo. Cross-sector regulators like SEBI, IRDAI, and DoT must align on cyber standards and incident reporting protocols.
In the meanwhile, highly vulnerable sectors like education and healthcare, which have weaker cybersecurity capabilities, can take a leaf from RBI’s book by ensuring that cybersecurity is treated as a continuously evolving issue . Many institutions in these sectors are known to perform goals-based compliance through a simple checklist approach. Institutions that take the lead in implementing zero-trust, diversifying vendor dependencies, and investing in cyber resilience will not only meet regulatory expectations but build long-term competitive advantage.
References
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/adopt-risk-based-supervision-zero-trust-approach-to-curb-cyberfrauds-rbi/articleshow/122164631.cms?from=mdr-%20500
- https://paramountassure.com/blog/value-driven-cybersecurity/
- https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/english/Scripts/Notification.aspx?Id=1721
- https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs//PublicationReport/Pdfs/0FSRJUNE20253006258AE798B4484642AD861CC35BC2CB3D8E.PDF
