a) whether the Government has taken initiatives to fact-check the content circulated on various platforms;
b) If so, the details thereof;
c) whether the Government has set up any fact-checking cell and if so, the details thereof;
d) whether the Government has taken any action against any news organization/ content-generating platforms for circulation of fake news/rumours or misleading information; and
e) If so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND
MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
(SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *30 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.11.2021 ON CIRCULATION OF FAKE NEWS
(a) to (c) : Government has statutory and institutional mechanisms in place to combat fake news, including the following:
i) A Fact Check Unit has been set up under Press Information Bureau 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 and updated information. PIB Fact Check Unit has responded to 28,578 actionable queries till date;
ii) 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;
iii) 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, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths;
iv) 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 25th February, 2021, which inter alia provides for a Code of Ethics for adherence by digital news publishers.
(d) to (e) : 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.
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