The 4-step check before you share anything

The rule

Before you share any post, forward, screenshot, or claim that involves a specific event, person, or number, run these 4 checks. Each takes 5-15 seconds.

Why this rule exists

Social media in India operates at network speed. A misinformation claim can outrun any fact-check, because verification takes time and forwarding does not.

The asymmetry means the only effective intervention against misinformation is upstream: the user pausing for 4 checks before sharing.

The rule below isn't optional for high-stakes claims (politics, communal events, deaths, accidents, financial scams). For low-stakes shares (recipes, jokes, festival greetings) the checks aren't needed.

What happens if you don't follow it

You become a node in the misinformation network. Friends and family forwarded the claim because you shared it; they trust you. Your share is amplifying the harm.

Your reputation as a reliable source also erodes. Each false share quietly reduces how much your network trusts the next one. The cost compounds.

In specific cases sharing misinformation has legal consequences, under the IT Act and IPC Section 153A (promoting enmity between groups).

Quick reference

Check 1. Source: does it have one?

Look at the message. Can you trace it to a named news outlet, a verified government account, a named person on a verified social account, or a named expert with credentials? If it's "forward forwarded forwarded" or "a friend's friend in [agency] said", it has no source. Don't share.

Check 2. Date: when did this actually happen?

Many viral claims are recycled. A 2018 video gets re-shared as today's news. A photo from another country gets attached to an Indian context. Reverse-search the image (Google Lens, TinEye). Search the headline phrase in quotes. If the same exact text shows up from years ago, it's recycled.

Check 3. Verification: has anyone fact-checked it?

Search the key claim plus "fact check" or the name of an Indian fact-checker (Alt News, BoomLive, WebQoof, Factly, Vishvas News). India's main fact-checkers are IFCN-verified and cover most viral claims within 24-48 hours. If the verdict is false, don't share. If partially true, share the fact-check, not the original.

Check 4. Bias: does this confirm what you already wanted to believe?

The hardest check, because it requires honesty about your own bias. Misinformation is engineered to feel like confirmation. The story that perfectly matches what you already believed is precisely the one to question.

If a claim only appears on outlets aligned with your existing views, check whether outlets with different leanings are reporting it too. Consistent reporting across independent outlets raises confidence. A single cluster reporting alone lowers it.

If you've already shared something false: reply to the same group with "I shared this earlier and it turns out it's not accurate. Here is the fact-check, apologies." Thirty seconds of mild embarrassment buys long-term reputation. The few who do this become the trusted nodes.