A Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology will hold a discussion with news associations in Delhi on November 21 to consider a mechanism to curb fake news.
The committee will hold a meeting with the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) and Editors Guild of India (EGI) and listen to their views on the creation of such a mechanism. Along with the news groups, representatives of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will also brief the meeting.
The announcement of this decision comes nearly two months after the Bombay High Court struck down a section of the amended Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021 that allowed the government to create its own Fact Check Unit (FCU). This FCU had the power to deem any “fake,” “false” or “misleading” information as fake news, threatening social media intermediaries safe harbor provisions on failing to take down such news. The EGI and NBDA were among the parties opposing this provision.
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In September 2024, the Bombay High Court dubbed the provision “vague” and unconstitutional. Particularly, the EGI had thanked the court for stating the amendment violated the fundamental rights of equality, free speech, personal liberty and failed the proportionality test. Now, the two news groups will work with the government to address fake news concerns like deep fakes and doctored content.