to Nikita Vashisth, former editor and fact checker for Newschecker.in, the initiative has received funding from Share Chat for fact-checking services, from the IFCN through a grant in 2020, and from Facebook through becoming a third-party fact checker (interview, 2021). Fact-checking organizations and civil society organizations that work in this space are sometimes affected by changes in international funding trends. Raisa Wickrematunge noted that potential structural changes in donor organizations and the shifting environment have made them consider diversifying their funders (interview, 2021). Amar Gunatilleke from the Marga Institute, a civil society organization in Sri Lanka working on hate speech and media literacy, spoke of the importance of looking for funding partners from Sri Lanka to sustain their operations. He added that the local business community has to be involved in such activities (interview, 2021). 3.5 IFCN CERTIFICATION IFCN certification is a key aspect for most of the fact checkers we interviewed. This certification not only assists them to maintain high standards in their processes and methodology; it also increases their credibility, leading to greater trust among the public and more funding opportunities. IFCN certification also gives fact checkers the opportunity to become third-party fact checkers for Facebook, an added revenue opportunity. As Yvonne Chua noted, “A number of Facebook partners have acknowledged that the partnership has helped sustain a portion of their fact-checking operations” (interview, 2021). Even though most fact checkers we interviewed are either currently IFCN verified or are interested in obtaining the verification, there are certain obstacles that make the process more difficult for fact-checking organizations. Firstly, although many acknowledge that the lengthy and strict process is essential to ensure the high standards expected by the IFCN, some have struggled with the process. These difficulties include not having the time and capacity needed for the process due to a lack of resources, difficulty in collecting all the information and documents required in English (this applies to fact checkers who focus on local languages), and the unaffordability of the processing fees charged by the IFCN for the assessment. Ujjwal Acharya from Nepal Fact Check and Umesh Shrestha from the Center for Media Research mentioned the delay experienced by Nepal Fact Check when applying for IFCN certification: “We I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH don’t have the human resources [to collect the documents needed]; we don’t make money. So we haven’t been able to apply for [the certification]” (interview, Acharya, 2021). 3.6 ACTIONS TAKEN BY GOVERNMENTS Many governments across Asia have taken measures to deal with information disorder. There have been internet shutdowns during certain events, and certain websites have been blocked. Furthermore, specific actions have been taken to tackle mis- and Many governments disinformation related to Covid-19. across Asia have taken While governments tend to argue measures to deal with disorder. that these measures are necessary to information combat “fake news,” critics contend that this is often used as a means to silence criticism of the government. Laws to deal with information disorder have also been passed, which will be dealt with in the next section. In some cases media literacy campaigns have been carried out by governments—these have been dealt with in the section on media literacy. “FAKE NEWS” TASK FORCES Several governmental organizations and ministries have set up fact-checking task forces and operations (see also Schuldt 2021). For instance, the Ministry of the Digital Economy and Society in Thailand launched its Anti-Fake News Center in 2019. The Bangkok Post reported on it as follows: People are also allowed to send information they find suspicious to the centre so it can be checked and verified with relevant organisations. The verified information will be shared through online channels. The public can send information via the centre’s channels on Facebook, Line and Twitter, or use the website www.antifakenewscenter.com. Any information deemed as infringement will be forwarded to the Royal Thai Police for investigation. The four main content areas subject to stringent checks are those considered to affect people’s life and property, cause social divide, spur mass misinformation or ruin the country’s reputation. (Leesa-Nguansuk 2019) In 2018, the Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting launched a Twitter page titled “Fake News Buster.”9 The website Factually,10 which is run by the government of Singapore, is meant Asia – 2 1 5