Page 16 - It Rules News Today

CPM Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, a member of the Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT), said the amendments haven’t been discussed in the committee.

Speaking during a live session on Twitter, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar stood firm on new rules to notify a fact-checker that will identify false or misleading content related to the government on social media platforms

The government has to set rules allowing fact-checking by the unit that it notifies and these rules have to be consistent with the provisions of freedom of expression as enshrined under the Constitution

The INS said that the government's fact-checking rules, which give a committee the power to take down content that is labelled "fake or false or misleading", calling them arbitrary and a violation of natural justice principles.

While explaining why the proposed fact check unit could not have been formed outside the government, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that information relating to the government would only be available with the concerned ministries or departments.

The INS called the new rules on fact-checking

The controversial unit will comprise two representatives from the Union information technology ministry and statistics ministry, along with a media expert and a legal expert, senior government officials told 'Indian Express.'

The amended IT Rules are the most updated version of attempt to influence information flow

Misinformation is a clear and present danger to goal of a safe and trusted internet. Since the government alone has access to certain data, it is best placed to flag falsehoods

According to the new IT rules, any online content that the ministry-appointed fact-checking body marks as “fake or misleading” will have to be taken down by online intermediaries if they wish to retain legal immunity against third-party content.