After the search term "19-minute viral video" started trending on Google, people across India are paying up to ₹5,000 online to access the video, a news report said. Gujarat, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra were mentioned in the report as the states where the video was doing the rounds.
The 19-minute, 34-seconds-long video became viral reportedly over the explicit language used by the participants involved. The video involves a young couple inside a hotel room, reports said, adding that some portions are believed to be AI generated. While it was not confirmed if the youngsters shot the video themselves or it was recorded without their permission, the combination of AI and leaked footage is said to be among the reasons for many searching the internet for the leaked MMS clip.
Speaking to THE WEEK, a cybersecurity expert had said that over 388 data breaches, 107 data leaks, 39 ransomware activities, and 59 cases of access sales or leaks were reported in India every three months. The Telegram app was a hotbed for data breaches and scams. A hub of hackers, Telegram is used as the platform to coordinate attacks and share information, he had reminded.
Edited versions claiming to be "Season 2” and “Season 3” of the "19-minute viral video" series have further fuelled suspicion that elements of the content, NDTV said in a report, may involve AI manipulation. From Twitter to Instagram and multiple search engines, many people are looking for the video out of pure curiosity to understand what the hype is about, another report said.
Why you shouldn’t go after the "19-minute viral video"
Meanwhile, some cyber experts claimed that clicking on the links claiming to be of the viral video could cause phishing or malware attacks. Once a topic with high search volume is identified, cybercriminals begin circulating malicious links and webpages through social media, chat apps, and across the wider internet in the hope that people will fall into their trap. A single click may be enough to lead someone into danger, putting them at risk of compromising their data and other personal information. The "19-minute viral video" has become one such search term, Google Trends show.
On the top of that, there are legal issues related to making payments for explicit content. Under Section 67 of the IT Act, sharing obscene material online can lead to up to three years in jail and a ₹5 lakh fine for a first offence, the NDTV report said. Under Section 67A, sharing sexually explicit content can lead to up to five years in jail and a ₹10 lakh fine. IPC Sections 292, 293, and 354C also criminalise distributing obscene or voyeuristic content. A person can be prosecuted even for sharing such material by accident.
