What is the 40 minute viral video controversy?
Amid the ongoing viral video trend, a 40-minute viral video has recently grabbed the social media users’ attention, spreading rapidly across platforms amid intense speculation and curiosity. The unusually long duration of the clip has prompted many to assume its authenticity, even as questions continue to surface about its origin and credibility.
The origin of the 40 minute viral video remains unknown and social media platforms are flooded with these short and fragmented clips. Curious users searching for these keywords are being directed to untrustworthy websites and links that can compromise their personal data and device security.
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Curiosity behind such viral trends?
According to a report in Mathurbhumi, digital culture analysts point out that exact timestamps such as 19:34 or 5:39 play a psychological role in driving virality. Specific numbers create a sense of secrecy, exclusivity and urgency, prompting higher click-through rates and search activity even when no genuine content exists. This psychological trigger often pushes rumours into trending spaces without any factual basis.
Instead of actual videos, social media users are mostly encountering reaction reels, memes, misleading “link in bio” posts and hashtags that lack an original source. WhatsApp forwards and influencer reactions have further fuelled the speculation, creating a feedback loop in which curiosity continues to drive searches despite the absence of any verified information.
Misinformation being fuelled online
The controversy closely resembles earlier online trends like the so-called “5 minute 39 second viral video link.” In both instances, no authentic or verified video has emerged, the individuals involved remain unidentified, and no official body has confirmed the content.
Despite the massive online buzz, police authorities have confirmed that the video does not exist in any verified form. Experts have warned that such clips may be edited, manipulated or completely AI-generated, making them unreliable and potentially harmful.
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What happens if you share such viral clips online?
Sharing or seeking such content, especially if it involves minors or non-consensual material, is a serious criminal offense in our country under Indian IT laws and the POCSO Act. The 19-minute private video allegedly showing a couple recently went viral and many people thought that the woman in the video was influencer Sweet Zannat. The Influencer had to come forward and clarify the mix-up, stating the video isn’t hers, pointing out visible differences in appearance and speech patterns. The clip remains unverified, but the confusion sparks a wave of trolling and misinformation. Sweet Zannat’s honest response highlights the dangers of deepfakes and false identity claims online.Several users have even speculated that parts of the clip could be AI-generated. None of these claims is verified, and no news organisation has authenticated the video.
Under Section 67 of the IT Act, sharing obscene material online can lead to up to three years in jail and a Rs 5 lakh fine for a first offence. Under Section 67A, sharing sexually explicit content can lead to up to five years in jail and a Rs 10 lakh fine. IPC Sections 292, 293, and 354C also criminalise distributing obscene or voyeuristic content. Authorities warn that sharing such material even by accident can result in prosecution.
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Haryana cop’s warning on 19-minute viral video
As the 19-minute clip was widely shared online, a police officer from Haryana issued a stern message on X stating that “sharing, saving, or watching” the video may land you in trouble. Haryana Police Cyber Cell officer Amit Yadav, who goes by the handle @vardiwala on Instagram, shared a video message about the 19-minute viral MMS clip and explained how it was illegal to share it.
In his video, Yadav revealed that the clip was AI-generated. He also explained how one can check if any video is made by artificial intelligence using “siteengine.com.”
Yadav also explained that sharing explicit photos or videos is a violation of Sections 67, 67A, and 66 of the IT Act. This can lead to a three-year jail term or a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh. The cop also asked people to verify the source of news before sharing it online and asked them not to engage in sharing or viewing any explicit content. The warning reportedly came after AI-generated fake versions of the clip were being circulated as “part 2″ or “part 3″ of the 19-minute video.