Archive · 31 Aug 2026
Nepal Cracks Down on Fake Flood Content Online
Nepal suffered deadly flash floods that destroyed homes, roads and bridges.
After the disaster, many false photos and videos spread online.
Some showed disasters from India, Alaska or earlier events instead of Nepal.
Other videos and pictures were made or changed using artificial intelligence.
This made it harder for families to find information about missing relatives.
Nepal’s media regulator received 101 complaints about misleading or disturbing posts.
It told 72 users to remove inappropriate content.
The government is also talking with social media companies about stopping false and graphic material.
Authorities said more than 900 people died and over 4,245 people were still missing.
Nepal ordered 72 social media users to remove inappropriate content linked to the flash floods.
The Nepal Press Council received 101 complaints, including 67 against personal accounts posting gruesome visuals.
Fact-checkers identified recycled footage, fabricated images and AI-generated videos falsely attributed to the disaster.
Authorities said misinformation was complicating rescue efforts and searches for missing relatives.
The floods killed more than 900 people, while over 4,245 remained missing, according to authorities.
- Who
- The Nepal Press Council, government authorities, fact-checkers and social media users were involved.
- What
- Nepal ordered 72 users to remove misinformation and graphic content related to the flash floods.
- When
- The enforcement and complaints occurred in the days following the floods on August 26; the council had received complaints by 5 p.m. Saturday.
- Where
- The disaster affected northern and central Nepal, near the Nepal-Tibet border, while false footage was circulated online.
- Why
- Authorities said misleading and graphic content was confusing the public, complicating rescue operations and affecting families searching for missing people.
- Users ordered to remove content
- 72 social media users
- Complaints received
- 101 complaints through the Nepal Press Council’s dedicated portal
- Accounts cited in complaints
- 67 personal accounts were accused of posting gruesome visuals
- Deaths
- More than 900 people, according to authorities
- Missing people
- More than 4,245 people, according to authorities
- Major false video
- A video claiming to show Home Minister Sudan Gurung in Nepal was traced to a tunnel rescue operation in Uttarakhand, India
- AI assessment
- One widely viewed flood video was assessed by Hive Moderation as 97.2% likely to be AI-generated