New Delhi, August 03: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has officially debunked a series of fake social media posts that falsely claimed India was reviewing U.S. trade exemptions and bilateral agreements.
On Sunday, screenshots of tweets from accounts impersonating international media outlets such as “China in English” and “Middle Eastern Affairs” went viral on X (formerly Twitter). The posts alleged that the Indian government had begun reviewing U.S. products exempted from tariffs and was considering suspending bilateral agreements if “hostile economic policies continue.”
Both posts carried images of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar alongside the U.S. flag, suggesting an official Indian statement. However, a bold “FAKE” watermark was later added to the viral images after fact-checking.
The MEA’s official fact-check handle took to X to warn against the spread of disinformation. In its statement, the ministry said, “Disinformation is being spread on X using fake posts attributed to Indian authorities. These claims are entirely false.”
The fact checking social media handle shows that India has issued no such warnings to the United States and urged the public and media outlets to verify any such reports through official channels before sharing them.
The ministry's channel reiterated that bilateral relations between India and the U.S. remain stable and no recent statement has been issued threatening trade or diplomatic measures.
This incident comes amid growing concerns over deepfake and AI-generated disinformation targeting international relations, highlighting the need for vigilance on social media platforms.
