top of page
Post: Blog2_Post

What is FAKE News? How new rules plan to tackle it. How to avoid trap of fake news.

There's no doubt in todays digital revolution the most dangerous disease one could get is the FAKE news, which can have repercussions in the society that could be unhealthy for everyone even if some people know the reality. It matters bit less if you are correctly informed as long as larger society is under impression of Fake news. It could divide us, kill us mentally and physically and could deprive the growth of the nation. Whoever it is irrespective of political inclination, gender, age and education should go for correct information to have right concerns and Issues upfront rather than wrong ones. Recently government brought legislation that affects this topic. Lets know of it.



What is Fake news?


Fake news is false and misleading information that is presented as news. It is usually associated with politics, and this association can narrow the focus of the issue.

There's other term interchangeably used known as 'false information'. The term ‘false information’ is preferable as it can refer to a diverse range of misinformation and disinformation covering topics such as health, environmental and economics across all platforms and genres, while ‘fake news’ is more narrowly understood as political news stories.


False information is news, stories or hoaxes created to deliberately misinform or deceive readers. Usually, these stories are created to either influence people’s views, push a political agenda or cause confusion and can often be a profitable business for online publishers. False information can deceive people by looking like trusted websites or using similar names and web addresses to reputable news organisations.


How Government plans to tackle Fake news?


On 6 April 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023.

The 2023 amendment confers power on MeitY to notify a fact check unit of the Central Government that will identify fake or false or misleading online content in respect to any business of the Central Government [Rule 3(1)(b)(v)]. Under Section 3, one of the due diligence requirement added is that social media intermediaries (such as Facebook, Twitter) and telecom service providers shall inform the user not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information in respect of any business of the Central Government, that is identified as fake or false or misleading by such fact check unit.


Controversy behind this?


Violation of this rule can lead to the social media intermediaries losing their 'safe harbour' immunity.


The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), an Indian digital liberties organisation has issued a statement, that the unguided power bestowed on the fact check unit of the Government to identify fake online content can ultimately have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech and expression.


Editors Guild of India has also expressed concerns about this amendment. "EGI is disturbed by the amendments notified to the IT Rules 2021, by GoI_MeitY giving itself authority to constitute a “fact checking unit”, with sweeping powers to determine what is “fake or false” wrt “business of Central Government”, and order take down to intermediaries", it tweeted.


Government can hold accountable the media platform providers such as the Instagram, YouTube etc for not removing the content that the fact check unit of Government has flagged as Fake news, the onus will not be only on the publisher of content but also the platforms. Previously Government notified the rules for the social media platforms such as acting on a report from government within 24 hours and dispose it within 15 days and regarding the appointment of grievance officer who shall be stationed locally for looking at the complaints.


What should a normal man think about this?


Fake news is quite an unhealthy thing and in the era of WhatsApp and Facebook which people of all generations use are most exposed to fake news and they often believe what they read on WhatsApp irrespective of its authenticity which has led to trust deficits with the government. So everyone should verify the news before believing in it through other sources as well.


What you can do to avoid Fake news?


  • Directly go on the source of the information rather then believing what is written on social media.

  • Research on internet about it.

  • Dont believe everything you get on WhatsApp or news mobile apps.

  • Also try and differentiate between opinion of someone with the fact.


Stay alert and stay safe and stay tuned for more.

Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet

Add a rating
Get membership to get you article featured
Subscribe

Publish your post, become member today

Disclaimer - All the content written on the website is for general information purposes only. We don't want to hurt anyone's sentiments of any kind. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. The blog or any content written on the website is opinion-based and that these opinions do not reflect the ideas, ideologies, or points of view of any organization. The information on blog is authentic to the best of our knowledge, and as such, it is prone to errors and the absence of some key information. The content on blog is generated for entertainment and informative purposes, but not to be perceived as professional advice in regards to health or finances, or any other field. 

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of thesoulguide.co.in.. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, thesoulguide.co.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.

We bring the handpicked topics and Indian perspective to various issues which might get missed by mainstream TV and print media, for a common reader. Subscribe Now to get latest updates. Get membership to feature your article.

Subscribe to YouTube Channel
bottom of page