{"id":60728,"date":"2025-12-05T18:50:43","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T13:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=60728"},"modified":"2025-12-06T12:28:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T06:58:29","slug":"parliamentary-panel-on-fake-news-recommendations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/05-12-2025\/parliamentary-panel-on-fake-news-recommendations","title":{"rendered":"Define &#8216;Fake News&#8217;, Amend Penal Provisions to Take Action: Parliamentary Panel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT, released a report titled <strong>&#8220;Review of Mechanism to Curb Fake News.&#8221;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Highlights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Define Fake News:<\/strong> It has asked the government to define the term &#8216;fake news&#8217; and incorporate suitable clauses in the existing regulatory framework to combat misinformation and protect freedom of speech.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Amendments: <\/strong>There is a need to amend the penal provisions for publishing\/telecasting fake news in relevant Acts\/Rules\/Guidelines for each form of media (print, electronic, digital).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fact Checking Mechanism: <\/strong>Having a fact-checking mechanism and internal ombudsman in media organisations will strengthen the role of self-regulatory mechanism.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It also urged the government<\/strong> to incorporate clauses while <strong>maintaining the balance<\/strong> between <strong>combating misinformation and protecting freedom of speech and individual rights<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Disinformation Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Growing Internet Penetration: <\/strong>India is on track to surpass 900 million internet users, making it highly <strong>vulnerable to disinformation <\/strong>without appropriate regulations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diverse Landscape, High Risk:<\/strong> India&#8217;s political, social, and linguistic diversity creates fertile ground for manipulated narratives, voter influence, and social unrest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Beyond Politics: <\/strong>Disinformation contributes to consumer boycotts, economic conflicts, international tensions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decline of Legacy Media Trust:<\/strong> Public trust in traditional news sources is eroding.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Citizens increasingly rely on social media for news.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unverified information spreads rapidly, often trusted because it comes from friends or family.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Youth at Risk:<\/strong> India\u2019s youth demographic is increasingly exposed to misinformation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many lack digital literacy and media consumption skills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal and Regulatory Landscape<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Constitutional Limits: <\/strong>Article 19(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Article 19(2) allows restrictions for defamation, morality, and public order.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The need to <strong>balance free speech<\/strong> (Article 19(1)(a)) with <strong>reasonable restrictions<\/strong> (Article 19(2)) is challenging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000<\/strong>: Section 69A grants the government power to block online content for security or public order concerns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Intermediary Guidelines &amp; Digital Media Ethics Code, 2021: <\/strong>Regulates social media, OTT platforms, and digital news media.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Self-Regulation by OTT Platforms: <\/strong>Platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime follow self-regulatory frameworks such as the Digital Publishers Content Grievances Council (DPCGC).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Central Board of Film Certification (&#8220;CBFC&#8221;)<\/strong>, which was established by the Cinematographic Act, of 1952, is responsible for censoring movies in India.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Digital Censorship in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Balancing Freedom of Speech &amp; Regulation<\/strong>: Over-regulation can suppress creativity, while under-regulation can spread harmful content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Transparency &amp; Accountability:<\/strong> Content moderation and censorship decisions often lack clear guidelines, raising concerns about misuse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jurisdictional Issues: <\/strong>Many digital platforms operate from outside India, making enforcement difficult.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technological Advancements: <\/strong>The rapid evolution of digital media complicates consistent and fair regulation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ethical Concerns:<\/strong> The subjective nature of obscenity laws can lead to arbitrary censorship.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Fact Check Unit: <\/strong>It was established under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and started its operations in 2019.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was constituted to flag \u201cfake, false or misleading online content related to the government.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Sahyog Portal: <\/strong>It was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2024.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The portal acts as a centralized system for government agencies at various levels\u2014ranging from ministries to local police stations\u2014to issue blocking orders more efficiently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Recommended Measures to Combat Disinformation in India (Global Risks Report 2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strengthening Technical Capacity &amp; Oversight: <\/strong>Upskill algorithm developers to <strong>reduce bias <\/strong>and manipulation in AI systems.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Establish AI supervisory boards and councils to monitor and regulate generative AI practices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mandate regular risk assessments by digital platforms, especially those using AI.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Boosting Public Awareness &amp; Digital Literacy: <\/strong>Expand digital literacy campaigns to help citizens identify and resist disinformation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Promote critical thinking through educational reforms and public outreach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulating Big Tech Platforms:<\/strong> Leverage India\u2019s status as the largest market for platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to demand accountability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Protecting Press Freedom:<\/strong> Pass stronger laws to protect journalists and whistleblowers from intimidation and digital harassment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Building Global and Regional Alliances: <\/strong>Promote cross-border coalitions to respond to the global nature of disinformation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Share best practices, threat intelligence, and regulatory frameworks with allies and international bodies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Disinformation isn\u2019t just a tech issue\u2014it\u2019s a<strong> threat to democracy, diversity, and truth.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Without public awareness and strong policy measures, disinformation will deepen political and societal divisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This trend underscores the pivotal role that social media platforms play, and the <strong>urgent need to promote media literacy, critical thinking, and accountability<\/strong> to help people identify reliable information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/define-fake-news-amend-penal-provisions-to-take-action-parliamentary-panel\/article70350248.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT, released a report titled &#8220;Review of Mechanism to Curb Fake News.&#8221;<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Major Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Define Fake News: It has asked the government to define the term &#8216;fake news&#8217; and incorporate suitable clauses in the existing regulatory framework to combat misinformation and protect freedom of speech.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Amendments: There is a need to amend the penal provisions for publishing\/telecasting fake news in relevant Acts\/Rules\/Guidelines for each form of media (print, electronic, digital).<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/05-12-2025\/parliamentary-panel-on-fake-news-recommendations\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60728"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60818,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60728\/revisions\/60818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}