India government seeks to ban fake news on social media

Robert Besser
22 Jan 2023, 02:32 GMT+10

A draft proposal for India's IT rules, released this week, reports that the government will not allow social media platforms to publish information that it considers as "fake" or "false"
Information considered "fake or false" by the PIB or agency authorized to perform fact-checking by the government, or "by its department in which such business is transacted" would be banned
In October, the government said a panel would be established to hear complaints from users regarding the moderation of content posted by social media firms

NEW DELHI, India: In Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government's latest efforts to rein in big tech firms, a draft proposal for India's IT rules, released this week, reports that the government will not allow social media platforms to publish information that it considers as "fake" or "false."

Under the draft, any information considered "fake or false" by the Press Information Bureau, or by any other agency authorized to perform fact-checking by the government, or "by its department in which such business is transacted," would be banned.

Once information was identified as false, social media platforms or other "online intermediaries" would have to "make reasonable efforts" to ensure users do not "host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share" such information, the draft added.

In October, the government said a panel would be established to hear complaints from users regarding the moderation of content posted by social media firms.

When they have failed to stop the flow of certain content or take down accounts responsible for spreading misinformation, social media platforms have been reprimanded by the Indian government.