Channel3Now (also stylised Channel3 NOW) was a website based in Pakistan which aggregated crime news under the pretence of being an American-style TV channel.[1][2] The website was created in 2023[3] and shut down in August 2024 after sharing fake news which fueled riots in the United Kingdom.[1] An individual linked to the website was arrested in Pakistan on 20 August 2024 on suspicion of cyberterrorism.[4] The case was later dropped.
Type of site | News aggregator; fake news website |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Lahore, Pakistan |
| Launched | 2023 |
| Current status | Offline |
History
editChannel3Now was registered as a website with a domain server located in Ireland on June 15, 2023.[5] According to Voice of America, the earliest archived versions of the Channel3Now site date back to September 2023.[6] An OSINT investigation by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue indicated that a previous iteration of the website was hosted at an address in Pakistan.[7][5]
The site was previously known as Fox3 Now, Fox5 Now, and Fox7 Now, leading to an arbitration suit with the unrelated Fox Media LLC.[6] In August 2023, the site was ordered to transfer those domains to Fox Media.[6]
In July 2024, following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, Channel3Now posted a video on its Rumble account falsely claiming that the perpetrator had been identified as a Chinese man. It also posted baseless claims on Twitter about the criminal history of Thomas Matthew Crooks, a white man who was later identified as the suspect, when he did not have such a history.[5]
Speculation on connection to Russian state
editThere have been claims and speculation in the UK press that Channel3Now is a Russian disinformation outlet,[8] including by a former head of MI6 in an interview with The Telegraph.[3] However, an 8 August 2024 BBC News investigation found no evidence to back up the claim of Russian links to the site.[2]
One source of this theory had been the presence of Russian-language content in the history of its YouTube channel. According to Channel3Now, it had purchased a former Russian-language YouTube channel and changed its name, initially posting video content related to Pakistan.[2]
UK riots, arrest and shutdown
editOn 29 July 2024, Channel3Now posted an article falsely claiming that the 17-year-old charged in the 2024 Southport stabbing was a Muslim asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat a year earlier. It also claimed he was on a watchlist of the MI6 intelligence service.[5][2] The article was widely quoted in viral posts on social media.
On 31 July 2024, Channel3Now posted an online statement in which it apologised for publishing "misleading information" about the stabbing. It also claimed "the team responsible" for the misinformation had been fired.[9][10]
In the aftermath of the false article, Channel3Now's YouTube channel and multiple Facebook pages were suspended.[8]
On 14 August 2024, an investigation by ITV News at Ten identified a person from Lahore, Pakistan as working for Channel3Now. The individual denied being responsible for the article, claimed he was merely a freelancer, and said three or four people were fired for publishing the false information. Channel3Now's website was shut down later that day.[1]
On 20 August 2024, the same individual was arrested by Pakistani police for spreading false information.[11] The case was dropped six days later after police said they were unable to find evidence that the accused was the originator of the fake news article.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Website accused of fuelling riots shut down after ITV News investigation". ITV News. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Spring, Marianna (8 August 2024). "The real story of the news website accused of fuelling riots". BBC News. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ a b Wilmot, Claire (2 August 2024). "Did Russian disinformation fuel the Southport protests?". The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Pakistan police arrest man over Southport attack disinformation". BBC News. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Kivi, Emmi (6 August 2024). "How dubious website Channel3NOW fueled misinformation about Southport suspect in the U.K." Logically Facts. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Kupfer, Matthew (9 August 2024). "How a network of falsehoods helped inflame Britain's anti-immigrant riots". VOA. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ "From rumours to riots: How online misinformation fuelled violence in the aftermath of the Southport attack". Institute for Strategic Dialogue. 31 July 2024. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ a b Shirreff, Lauren (3 August 2024). "The obscure Russian-linked 'news' outlet fuelling violence on Britain's streets". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Fact Check: Southport stabbing suspect was born in the UK, say police". Reuters. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Sincere Apology and Correction Regarding Southport Stabbing Incident". Channel3 NOW. 31 July 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ Farmer, Ben; Gillani, Waqar (20 August 2024). "Man arrested in Pakistan for 'spreading fake news about Southport knifeman'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "Pakistan drops Southport attack disinformation case". BBC News. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.