Nepal has asked Meta and TikTok to remove graphic images, AI-generated videos, fraudulent donation QR codes and misleading posts circulating in the aftermath of devastating flash floods, local media reported on Friday.
Government officials held talks with Nepal-based representatives of the social media platforms, seeking faster action against content that could mislead the public, hamper relief operations or cause further distress to victims’ families, according to The Kathmandu Post.
Bijay Kumar Roy, coordinator of the government’s social media regulation and management task force, said authorities asked the companies to remove objectionable and deceptive content as soon as it is flagged.
Officials also urged the platforms to make their algorithms more proactive in detecting and blocking graphic and false content, the newspaper reported.
Authorities said old footage had been recirculated as images from the latest disaster, while AI-generated videos and images were being presented as genuine. Fraudulent QR codes soliciting donations for flood victims have also emerged.
Read More: Lake overflows on Nepal-China border, sparking panic and halting rescue
Meta and TikTok currently take between 24 and 48 hours to respond to reported posts, prompting officials to seek quicker action, according to the report.
The move comes as the combined death toll from the floods in Nepal and China has reached 543, while 1,281 people, including 856 foreigners, remain missing.
Floods and landslides struck northern and central Nepal on Wednesday, sweeping through communities along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers and destroying homes, bridges and roads.
On the Chinese side, mud and debris struck Gyirong Port in Gyirong County in the southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region, also known as Tibet, cutting roads as well as communication and power links.
Hundreds of residents, construction workers and tourists in affected areas of Gyirong County have been evacuated to safer areas as search and rescue operations continue.
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