Setback for Centre: Supreme Court stays operation of Fact Check Unit
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.
- Mar 21, 2024,
- Updated Mar 21, 2024 1:52 PM IST
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday stayed the operation of the Fact Check Unit (FCU), which was notified yesterday 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.
The Fact Check Unit was supposed to be the nodal agency to tackle or alert about all fake news or misinformation related to the central government. The notification came days after the Bombay High Court declined to restrain the Centre from notifying the unit.
The petition was filed by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and the Editors Guild of India. The petitioners have moved the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court verdict and the matter is expected to come up for hearing on Thursday. In April last year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) promulgated the 2023 Rules, which further amended the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
Under the new rules, if the fact check unit comes across or is informed about any posts that are "fake", "false" or contain "misleading" facts pertaining to the business of the government, it would flag it to the social media intermediaries. The online intermediaries would then have to take down such content if they wanted to retain their "safe harbour" (legal immunity against third-party content).
The fact check unit under PIB was established in November 2019 with a stated objective of acting as a deterrent to creators and disseminators of fake news and misinformation. It also provides people with an easy avenue to report suspicious and questionable information pertaining to the Government of India.
(With inputs from PTI)
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday stayed the operation of the Fact Check Unit (FCU), which was notified yesterday 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.
The Fact Check Unit was supposed to be the nodal agency to tackle or alert about all fake news or misinformation related to the central government. The notification came days after the Bombay High Court declined to restrain the Centre from notifying the unit.
The petition was filed by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and the Editors Guild of India. The petitioners have moved the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court verdict and the matter is expected to come up for hearing on Thursday. In April last year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) promulgated the 2023 Rules, which further amended the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
Under the new rules, if the fact check unit comes across or is informed about any posts that are "fake", "false" or contain "misleading" facts pertaining to the business of the government, it would flag it to the social media intermediaries. The online intermediaries would then have to take down such content if they wanted to retain their "safe harbour" (legal immunity against third-party content).
The fact check unit under PIB was established in November 2019 with a stated objective of acting as a deterrent to creators and disseminators of fake news and misinformation. It also provides people with an easy avenue to report suspicious and questionable information pertaining to the Government of India.
(With inputs from PTI)