[Paper Review] Fact-checking Initiatives in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal: A Study of User Engagement and Challenges

Mahfuzul Haque, Mohammad Yousuf+6 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Nov 5, 2018

Misinformation and Its Impacts17 citations

TL;DR

This study investigates fact-checking initiatives in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, identifying key challenges such as political pressure, limited resources, and lack of sustainable funding. Through in-depth interviews and analysis of Facebook engagement, it reveals growing user interaction—e.g., BD Fact Check reached nearly 11,000 followers—while highlighting the urgent need for localized technological tools and institutional support to strengthen fact-checking in the Global South.

ABSTRACT

Fake news and misinformation spread in developing countries as fast as they do in developed countries with increasing penetration of the internet and social media. However, fighting misinformation is more difficult in developing countries where resources and necessary technologies are scarce. This study provides an understanding of the challenges various fact-checking initiatives face in three South Asian countries--Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. In-depth interviews were conducted with senior editors of six fact-checking initiatives. Challenges identified include lack of resources, technologies, and political pressure. An analysis of Facebook pages of these initiatives shows increasing user engagement with their posts.

Motivation & Objective

• To understand the challenges faced by fact-checking initiatives in South Asian developing countries, particularly in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.
• To analyze user engagement levels on social media platforms, especially Facebook, for these fact-checking organizations.
• To identify systemic barriers such as political pressure, lack of technology, and unsustainable funding models that hinder long-term operation.
• To explore the feasibility of technological solutions tailored to local languages and contexts to improve verification efficiency.
• To contribute to the global discourse on sustainable fact-checking by highlighting under-researched contexts in the Global South.

Proposed method

• Conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with senior editors from six fact-checking initiatives across Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.
• Analyzed public engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares) on the Facebook pages of these initiatives from October 2017 to October 2018.
• Categorized challenges into three main themes: political pressure, resource constraints, and technological limitations.
• Solicited input on funding models, including donor dependency, advertising, and public support, to assess sustainability.
• Evaluated the absence of machine learning and AI tools for local South Asian languages as a key technical barrier.
• Used comparative analysis to contrast challenges in South Asia with those in developed nations, emphasizing context-specific constraints.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 To what extent do Facebook users engage with the fact-checking organizations of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal?
• RQ2 What challenges do fact-checking organizations in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal face in their operations?
• RQ3 How do political pressures and government interventions affect the independence and sustainability of these initiatives?
• RQ4 What are the primary financial and technological constraints limiting the scalability and longevity of fact-checking efforts in these countries?
• RQ5 What technological and institutional solutions could improve the efficiency and resilience of fact-checking in the Global South?

Key findings

• BD Fact Check, a volunteer-run initiative in Bangladesh, amassed nearly 11,000 followers on Facebook by October 2018, indicating strong user engagement.
• Fact-checking organizations in the region face significant political pressure, including government summonses and veiled threats, particularly from state agencies like BTRC in Bangladesh.
• Lack of access to machine learning and AI tools trained on local South Asian languages severely limits automated verification capabilities.
• Most organizations rely on unpredictable donor funding, with no viable subscription or advertising-based models due to low public trust and financial instability.
• Fact-checkers in Bangladesh and Nepal often practice self-censorship to avoid government retaliation, even when not directly threatened.
• Despite limited resources and structural challenges, fact-checking initiatives have built active online communities, signaling a growing public demand for credible information.