Social media moves fast, but the internet's ability to spin a web of lies moves even faster. If you’ve been on X (formerly Twitter) or WhatsApp lately, you might have seen a certain name trending alongside some pretty heavy accusations. We are talking about the Mona Alam viral video—a situation that essentially became a masterclass in how character assassination works in the digital age.
Honestly, the whole thing is a mess.
Mona Alam, a respected Pakistani news anchor known for her sharp political analysis on Question Hour with Mona Alam (Hum News), suddenly found herself in the crosshairs of a malicious smear campaign. It wasn't just a rumor. It was a full-blown attempt to wreck a career.
The Reality of the Mona Alam Viral Video
Let's get the facts straight because there's a lot of junk floating around. In late 2024, an explicit video began circulating on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. The claim? That the woman in the video was Mona Alam.
It wasn't.
Mona didn't just stay quiet and wait for the storm to pass. She hit back. Hard. On December 18, 2024, she took to her X account to post a side-by-side comparison. She pointed out that the woman in the footage wasn't just "someone else"—she was actually a "proven criminal" whose identity had been co-opted to target the journalist.
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Why do people do this?
It’s often political. Or personal. Or just petty. In Pakistan, there has been a massive surge in what experts call the "deepfake menace" or simple "misattribution." Basically, someone finds a video of a random person who looks vaguely like a celebrity, or they use AI to swap faces, and then they hit "send."
"My character is spotless and all campaigners against it will face the music!" — Mona Alam via X.
She wasn't joking about the music part.
Legal Action and the FIA
Mona didn't just tweet; she went to the cops. Specifically, she filed a formal complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime division in Islamabad. This is a big deal. In many of these cases, victims feel too ashamed to speak up, which is exactly what the trolls want. By going to the FIA, Alam shifted the narrative from "scandal" to "crime."
The complaint detailed how the video was being sent to other senior journalists. Think about that for a second. This wasn't just a random leak; it was a targeted hit job designed to make her peers lose respect for her.
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The broader context of Pakistani media
Mona isn't the only one. Just weeks before this, other prominent figures like Minahil Malik, Imsha Rehman, and even Punjab Minister Azma Bukhari faced similar attacks. It’s becoming a pattern.
- Create or find explicit content.
- Slap a famous name on it.
- Watch it go viral before anyone checks the facts.
- Damage the person's reputation permanently.
It’s a digital hit-and-run.
How to Spot a Fake Viral Video
You've probably seen these links. "Watch [Name] Leaked Video!" They usually lead to shady websites filled with malware. If you want to avoid being part of the problem, you have to look closer.
Most of these "leaks" have a few things in common. The quality is usually terrible—grainy footage makes it easier to hide that the person isn't actually the celebrity. Also, the "source" is almost always a random Telegram group or a brand-new X account with zero followers.
Honestly, if a major news anchor had a "scandal," you'd hear about it from legitimate news outlets, not just a WhatsApp forward from your uncle.
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The Impact on Journalism
When someone like Mona Alam is targeted, it’s not just about her. It’s about silencing women in the public eye. If you know that being a vocal journalist means you might wake up to a fake explicit video of yourself trending nationwide, you might think twice about what you say on air.
That's the goal.
Fortunately, the tide is turning. Public sentiment is shifting toward supporting the victims of these deepfakes rather than shaming them. People are starting to realize that the "viral video" isn't a reflection of the victim’s character, but a reflection of the creator's lack of one.
Actionable steps for digital safety
If you ever find yourself or someone you know in a similar situation, don't just delete your accounts and hide.
- Document everything: Take screenshots of the posts, the links, and the accounts spreading the content.
- Report, don't share: Even sharing a video to say "this is fake" helps the algorithm spread it further. Just report the post.
- Go to the authorities: If you are in a region with cybercrime laws, use them. The FIA in Pakistan or the IC3 in the US are there for this reason.
- Verify before you believe: Use reverse image search tools like Google Lens or TinEye to see where a screenshot actually came from.
The Mona Alam viral video saga is a reminder that we are living in a weird, often hostile digital world. But it's also a reminder that standing your ground works. Mona is still on the air. She’s still hosting her show. The trolls tried to bury her, but they forgot she knew how to use the law.
To stay safe, keep your social media privacy settings tight and never click on "leaked" links from unverified sources. They are almost always scams or malicious fakes designed to exploit your curiosity.
Protect your digital footprint. Verify the news. Support the victims.