In A Setback For The Centre, Supreme Court Has Put On Hold ‘Fact Check Unit’ Operations

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday stayed the operations of the Fact Check Unit (FCU), which was notified on Mar 20 under IT Rules of 2021 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The apex court stayed the notification till the Bombay High Court decides the challenges to the Information Technology Rules Amendment 2023. The FCU was set up to monitor content on social media concerning its business under the recently amended IT Rules. On Wednesday, the Centre notified the fact check unit under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to monitor online content pertaining to the government for accuracy. "The central government hereby notifies the Fact Check Unit under the Press Information Bureau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as the fact check unit of the Central Government for the purposes of the said sub-clause, in respect of any business of the Central Government," the notification said.