Farhan Asif, a Pakistani citizen whose fake news incited riots in the United Kingdom, has been revealed to be acting alone, according to recent investigations. Asif, a 31-year-old computer science graduate and web developer from Lahore, ran the website Channel3Now, where he posted sensational and false news stories for profit. His fake news, including a claim about the arrest of a Muslim asylum seeker following a stabbing incident in Southport, led to violent riots fueled by far-right groups.
The Lahore Police apprehended Asif using facial recognition technology after his image appeared on ITV. He was then handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further questioning. Despite initially misleading even the BBC into believing that Channel3Now was operated by a team from multiple countries, Asif eventually admitted to fabricating identities and using a purchased Facebook ID to communicate with media outlets.
Asif’s primary motive appears to have been financial gain, as he earned between Rs300,000 to Rs400,000 per month by aggregating sensational news, which attracted significant online traffic and revenue. His accounts on YouTube and Facebook have since been suspended.
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