Question : Fake and False News

(a) whether the Government has taken any concrete steps to control rumours, misleading advertisements, fake and false news being spread through various medium, and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has prepared any scheme to set up a monitoring system and to enact a concrete law in this regard, if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the details of the steps taken by the Government to provide authentic data and information to the people to secure their personal data during the last three years?

MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS, (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

(a) to (c): Government has statutory and institutional mechanisms in place to combat fake news, including the following:
A Fact Check Unit has been setup under Press Information Bureau of this Ministry in November, 2019 which takes cognizance of fake news both suo-motu and by way of queries sent by citizens on its portal or through e-mail and social media. The unit responds to the relevant queries with correct information. The PIB Fact Check Unit has responded to over 30,000 actionable queries.
For Print Media, Press Council of India has framed ‘Norms of Journalistic Conduct’ under the Press Council Act, 1978 which inter alia emphasize the principles of accuracy and fairness;
For Television, all TV channels are required to adhere to the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, including that programmes should not contain anything obscene, defamatory, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths;
For digital news publishers, the Government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 under the IT Act, 2000 on 25.2.2021, which inter alia provides for a Code of Ethics for adherence by digital news publishers.
The Government and the Press Council of India take action in appropriate cases where violation of the norms, Programme Code and Code of Ethics are found. It also issues advisory from time to time to the media to adhere to the laid down Codes.
********